Archaeology month activities include public talks on archaeology and archaeological methods, visits to ongoing archaeological fieldwork projects,
site tours, and even fieldwork opportunities. This program is financially assisted by the National Endowment for the Humanities through the Mississippi Humanities Council. Other sponsors include:
Mississippi Archaeological Association
MS Dept. of Archives and History
MS Dept. of Transportation
Mississippi Association of Professional Archaeologists
R. Christopher Goodwin and Associates
Tennessee Valley Archaeological Research
Strange Brew Coffeehouse - Starkville
Cobb Institute of Archaeology, MSU
All events are free and open to the public. Listed below are some of the activities scheduled. Additional programs and updates will be
posted here as they become finalized.
Date: Saturday, October 12, 9 am - 2 pm Place: Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (south of Starkville) Event: Artifact display and demonstrations with Keith Baca, archaeologist from the Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University Contact: NNWR, 662-323-5548
Date: Sunday, October 13, 2 - 3 pm Place: Plymouth Bluff Center, 2200 Old West Point Road, Columbus Event: Join us for "Sunday at the Bluff" where Dr. Michael Galaty of the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, will present a lecture entitled "High Altitude Archaeology: Results of the Shala Valley Project, Northern Albania." Contact: Harry Sherman; hsherman@pb.muw.edu
Date: Monday, October 14, 7 pm - 8 pm Place: Fowlkes Auditorium, Colvard Student Union, Mississippi State University Event: Dr. Haagen Klaus of George Mason University will present a lecture entitled "The Enigma of Matrix 101: An Unprecedented Human Sacrifice from Huaca Las Ventanas, Peru." Contact: Molly Zuckerman, mollykbzuckerman@gmail.com
Date: Thursday, October 17, 5:30 pm Place: Mississippi State University, Hilbun Hall, Room 102 Event: "Jerusalem: Secrets from the Temple Mount's Soil," a public lecture by Dr. Gabriel Barkay, Professor at Bar Ilan University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Contact: Kathy Elliott (662) 325-3826 or kme@ra.msstate.edu
Date: Thursday, October 17, 7 pm - 8 pm Place: Chickasaw County Historical and Genealogical Society, Houston, MS Event: Dr. Janet Rafferty and Nicole Erickson of the department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, will present a lecture entitled "Chickasaw County Mound Sites: Thelma and Owl Creek." Contact: Janet Rafferty, rafferty@anthro.msstate.edu
Date: Saturday, October 19, 10 am - 4 pm Place: Event:Archaeology Expo - the 6th annual Archaeology Expo is a hands-on family fair that will be moving to Starkville for 2013. The event will showcase numerous educational activities for all ages. Bring your family and friends and meet local archaeologists! Contact: Kathy Elliott at (662) 325-3826 or kme@ra.msstate.edu
Date: Thursday, October 24, 7 pm - 8 pm Place: Event: Richard Marshall, retired professor of Anthropology from MSU, will be giving a talk on local Indian tribes entitled "Chikashsha, Sakchihoma, Chahta and Others Nearby." Contact: Starkville Public Library, 662-323-2766 Note: Please note that due to the recent passing of Mr. Marshall this event has been canceled.
Date: Saturday, October 26, 9 am - 12 noon Place: Event: The Union County Heritage Museum will be presenting activities ranging from mound tours to ancient weapons demonstrations, Native American flute playing, artifact exhibits and hands-on activities. Contact: Jill Smith, jill@ucheritagemuseum.com or 662-538-0014
Delta Region
Date: Saturday, October 5, 10 am - 4 pm Place: Winterville Mounds Park, Greenville, MS Event: Mock Excavation, young and old are invited to participate in a mock excavation at the mounds to learn about archaeological techiques. All tools will be provided. Contact: Mark Dingeldein (662) 332-2580 or mdingeldein@mdah.state.ms.us
Date: Saturday, October 12, 1 pm Place: Winterville Mounds Museum, Greenville, MS Event: Movie Day, presentation of the film "Native American Herbs." Free to the public. Contact: Mark Dingeldein, (662) 332-2580 or mdingeldein@mdah.state.ms.us
Date: Saturday, October 20, 1 pm Place: Winterville Mounds Museum, Greenville, MS Event: Dr. Jamie Brandon, archaeologist with the Arkansas Archaeological Survey will present a lecture entitled "Merchants on the Cotton Frontier," which will describe archaeological excavations conducted in Washington, Arkansas during 2011 and 2012. Contact: Mark Dingeldein (662) 332-2580 or mdingeldein@mdah.state.ms.us
Date: Saturday, October 26, 10 am - 4 pm Place: Winterville Mounds Museum, Greenville, MS Event: Artifact Identification. Bring your artifacts to be identified by MDAH archaeologist, John Connaway and Winterville Mounds archaeologist, Mark Dingeldein. Contact: Mark Dingeldein (662) 332-2580 or mdingeldein@mdah.state.ms.us
Central Region
Date: Throughout October and November Place: Vicksburg National Military Park Event: During October and November the Vicksburg National Military Park will have an exhibit on "Archaeology and Native Americans in Vicksburg and the Civil War." Contact: Julie Leist, 601-287-3258
Date: October 4 - 13, 10 am - 8 pm Place: Mississippi State Fair, Jackson, MS Event: The MAA will once again have a booth at the State Fair. Volunteers are needed to help man the booth. Contact: Patty Miller Beech, pmbeech@mdah.state.ms.us or David Abbott, dabbott@mdah.state.ms.us for more info or to volunteer
Date: Wednesday, October 9, 12 noon - 1 pm Place: William F. Winter Archives and History Building, Jackson, MS Event: "History is Lunch" program will feature a lecture by retired archaeologist, Sam Brookes, entitled "Aspects of the Mississippi Delta's Prehistory." Contact: cwilson@mdah.state.ms.us
Date: Sunday, October 13, 3 pm - 4 pm Place: Yazoo Historical Museum (beside the library in Yazoo City) Event:Julie Leist, archaeologist with the Vicksburg National Military Park will give a lecture entitled "Preservation of Archaeological Sites: Holly Bluff Mound Group and Fort St. Pierre." The lecture is also sponsored by the Yazoo Historical Society. Contact: Betsy Crout, 662-746-4718
Date: Saturday, October 19, Departure at 9 am Place: Meet at 820 Arlington Street, Jackson, MS Event: Guided Indian Mound Driving Tour with retired archaeologist Sam Brookes - the trip will take several hours and will cover a distance of over 150 miles. Fill up with gas BEFORE departing. Lunch is on your own at the Country Store in Grace, MS, which has a nice buffet. Contact: Sam Brookes, 601-969-6573 or sambrookes@bellsouth.net
Date: Saturday, October 26, Two tours - one tour at 10 am and another at 1 pm Place: Rolling Fork, MS Event:In conjunction with "The Great Delta Bear Affair" festival a guided driving tour of nearby prehistoric Indian Mounds is offered by retired archaeologist, Sam Brookes. Fill up with gas BEFORE departing. Contact: Meg Cooper, megdlp@bellsouth.net
Southern Region
Date: Thursday, October 17, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Place: The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, 400 Jefferson Davis Blvd, Natchez, MS Event: Lecture by Jim Barnett entitled "History of Natchez-Area Archaeology" Contact: Jim Barnett, jbarnett@mdah.state.ms.us
Date: Friday, October 25, 8:30 am - 11 am Place: Poplarville Elementary School, Poplarville, MS Event: Nature and Archaeology Day Contact: Ed Jackson, 601-266-4306
Date: Saturday, October 26 Place: Sandbar on the Pascagoula River near the old town of Merrill, MS Event: Adventure at Three Rivers: Pascagoula River Festival. Archaeologists Read Stowe and Jason Gardner will present "The Prehistory and Early History of the Pascagoula Basin;" Becky Stowe of the Nature Conservancy will present "Preserving the Pascagoula, Habitats and History" and Dr. Eugene Wilson will present "The Cultural Geography and Geology of the Pascagoula Basin." Contact: Becky Stowe, 228-591-1116 ext 102
Date: Thursday, October 31, 9:30 am - 11:25 am Place: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of Southern Mississippi Event: Seminar on the "History and Archaeology of Camp Shelby" by MS Army National Guard archaeologist, Rita McCarty Contact: 601-264-2780, Registration is required
Gulf Coast Region
Date: Thursday, October 3, 5 pm - 7 pm Place: Local History and Genealogy Department, Biloxi Public Library, 580 Howard Ave, Biloxi, MS Event: “Dearly Departed – The Mourning After” - The Biloxi Public Library Local History and Genealogy Department in association with the Mississippi Archaeology Association (MAA) Gulf Coast Chapter invites you to participate in the program “Dearly Departed - The Mourning After”. This unique event will highlight the resources available within the Biloxi Public Library’s Local History and Genealogy Department’s collection, which can assist individuals in locating information on obituary research. The program will also highlight the four major cemeteries along the Biloxi Peninsula, give information concerning the Moran Site cemetery excavation, and have a special activity where staff will introduce "tombstone rubbings" as a means of gathering data. We actually have a tombstone, which has been salvaged for this event! Contact: Jane Shambra, jane.shambra@gmail.com (Please RSVP)
Date: Saturday, October 19, 10:30 am Place: Moss Point Audubon Center at 7001 Frank Griffin Road, Moss Point, MS 39563 Event: McCoy's Swamp and River Boat Tour, which will feature a discussion of archaeological settlements along the Pascagoula River by archaeologist Tom James. Pre-registration is required and tour is $25 per person. Contact: Glenn Strickland, gdstrick@gmail.com Note: This is not an official Archaeology Month event, but we wanted to let everyone know about it.
Date: Thursday, October 24, 6 pm - 8 pm Place: MS Dept. of Marine Resources, 1141 Bayview Ave, Biloxi, MS 39530 Event: Lecture by Dr. Ed Jackson, archaeologist at the University of Southern Mississippi, entitled "The Archaeology of Grand Bay Shell Middens: 3000 Years of Fishing and Foraging." Contact: Ed Jackson, ed.jackson@usm.edu
Date: Saturday, October 26, 9 am Place: Meet at 1050 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS. This location is at the intersection of U.S. 90 and Porter Ave, just west of I-110 loop and Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. Event: Biloxi Lighthouse Tour - this tour will provide a unique opportunity to glimpse into the historic past of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
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