Saturday, October 20
Artifact Identification and Amnesty Event: 1:00-5:00 PM
Wilson Hall Theatre Foyer
“Archaeology in Huntsville's Backyard: Prehistoric Cultures
of the Middle Tennessee Valley” 7:00 PM
Ben Hoksbergen, Cultural Resource Manager/Installation
Archaeologist, Redstone Arsenal
Wilson Hall Theatre
Have
you found an object you think might be an artifact? Do
you know you have an artifact but want to know more about it? Have you
picked
up artifacts on public land and want to ease your conscience?
Professional archaeologists
will be on hand at the National Archaeology Day event to identify
artifacts you
bring in and tell you more about them. They can also help you record
archaeological
sites you've found. Archaeologists from the Army and TVA will also be
accepting artifacts from the public that were collected
on federal land. It's illegal to collect artifacts on federal land or
from
federal waterways, but for this day only, anyone who turns in artifacts
from
federal land will be safe from prosecution and will be secure in knowing
that
the artifacts they collected will be available for professional study
and
public exhibit. Archaeologists from TVA will also be hosting children's
activities, and there will be plenty of educational displays
and literature to browse. Co-sponsored by the AIA, Redstone Arsenal,
TVA, the
Alabama National Guard, the Alabama Archaeological Society, and
Tennessee
Valley Archaeological Research.
For our evening talk, Ben Hoksbergen will discuss the Middle Tennessee River Valley of north Alabama, which has some of the richest archaeological resources in North America. Evidence of dense prehistoric occupation in the area goes back at least 13,300 years. Archaeologists have been systematically investigating sites in the valley over the last century and have uncovered a wealth of information about the people who populated the landscape before the arrival of Columbus. Hoksbergen will explore this rich cultural history, summarize what we've learned so far, and outline the mysteries that have yet to be solved.
For our evening talk, Ben Hoksbergen will discuss the Middle Tennessee River Valley of north Alabama, which has some of the richest archaeological resources in North America. Evidence of dense prehistoric occupation in the area goes back at least 13,300 years. Archaeologists have been systematically investigating sites in the valley over the last century and have uncovered a wealth of information about the people who populated the landscape before the arrival of Columbus. Hoksbergen will explore this rich cultural history, summarize what we've learned so far, and outline the mysteries that have yet to be solved.
