2010 Calendar of Speakers

2010 Calendar of Speakers

2010

Grave Creek Mound

Archaeological Complex

2010 Lecture Series

Thursday, January 28

Recent Preservation Activities Conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Jenkins House in Green Bottom, West Virginia

Aaron O. Smith, Planning Archaeologist (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District)

The Albert Gallatin Jenkins House was built circa 1835 by shipping industrialist William A. Jenkins. It was inherited by his son, Albert Gallatin Jenkins, who served as Brigadier General in the Confederate Army. Mr. Smith will talk about recent stabilization and restoration work conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at this historic home.

Thursday, February 25

A Brief Summary of theExcavations at the Bryan Site (46Oh65):An Upland
Monongahela Hamlet Site in Ohio County, West Virginia.

Jamie Vosvick, Supervising Archaeologist, and Jennifer Carroll, Crew Chief

(Archaeological Consultants of the Midwest, Inc.)

This discussion will focus on the preliminary analysis of the ceramic, lithic, faunal and botanical assemblages recovered from the site, with brief comparisons to similar sites in the region. The Monongahela people were a Late Prehistoric group that lived in small villages approximately

AD 900-1630.
Thursday, March 25

Some Recently Reported Stone Cairns in West Virginia

Roger B. Wise, Supervisor for Archaeology (West Virginia Division of Highways)

Stone constructions known as rock cairns have been associated with prehistoric peoples since at least the mid-1800s. Modern archaeologists tend to disregard these, often discounting them as the product of modern activities such as field clearing. This presentation looks at two recently reported complexes of stone constructions in West Virginia and advocates allowing more credence for their prehistoric origin.

Thursday, April 29

The Art and Archeology of the Adena People

Robert F. Maslowski, Ph.D.(MarshallUniversityGraduateCollege,

and Editor,West Virginia Archeologist)

The archeology of the Adena People will be discussed in terms of their art and their burial practices. The Adena were the first people in West Virginia that left artistic creations in the form of stone tablets, bird stones and smoking pipes. They also were the first to be involved in an extensive trade network that provided them with copper from the Great Lakes and shells from the Atlantic and GulfCoast.

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Thursday, May 27

Evidence for Siouan-Speaking Native Americans in Southern West Virginia before European Contact

Darla I. Spencer, Publications Director-West Virginia (Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc.)

Who lived in the KanawhaValley before the first Euro-American settlers arrived? This presentation brings together historic, linguistic, and archaeological evidence for a Siouan presence in southern West Virginia between A.D. 1500 and 1700. This evidence is supported by the results of the presenter’s analysis of pottery curated at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, which suggests an association with Siouan-speaking peoples in Virginia.

June 24, July 29, and August 26 (Thursdays)

Summer Archaeology Film Festival

Hosted by David E. Rotenizer and Andrea K. Keller

(Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex)

Various archaeological films will be shown on wide screen in the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex auditorium. Specific film titles to be announced later. 1-2 films to be shown each session.

Thursday, September 30

The Jackpot Rockshelter Mystery

David N. Fuerst, Cultural Resource Specialist (New RiverGorgeNationalRiver)

How did a volcanic glass known as obsidian get to be found in a rockshelter in the New RiverGorgeNationalRiver survey area? Obsidian is not native to West Virginia, and may have originated as far away as Wyoming or Nevada. Chemical analysis is being used to determine just how far-reaching prehistoric trade networks tied to West Virginia may have been.

Thursday, October 28

The Earliest Americans: Current Perspectives on Paleoamerican Origins, Arrivals, andLife Ways

Jerry N. McDonald, Ph.D. (McDonald & Woodward Publishing Co.)

This presentation will review our current understanding of the arrival, source areas, material culture, and economic activities of North America’s Paleoamericans. It will also offer insightregarding the more complex Paleoamerican sites, and conclude with thoughts about research frontiers associated with documenting and defining the history of these early North Americans.

Thursday, November 18

The Resurgence of Anikituhwa:

Language and Cultural Revitalization among the Eastern Band Cherokee

Travis L. Henline, Cultural Facilities Manager (West Virginia Independence Hall)

Like many Native American tribal nations, the Eastern Band Cherokee of North Carolina is experiencing a revitalization of its culture, including its language, dances, and other traditional practices. The program includes an introductory lesson in speaking the Kituhwa dialect of the Cherokee language.

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All programs start at 7:00 pm in the auditorium of the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological

Complex, 801 Jefferson Ave., Moundsville, West Virginia. Open to the public free of charge. For further information, call (304) 843-4128, or e-mail

Please provide your e-mail address to be placed on mailing list for all upcoming special events and activities at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex.