Several area sites to participate in archaeology program

Several locations throughout Southeast Missouri will be participating in Missouri Archaeology Month in September. The Southeast Missouri State University Museum will be joining in for the first time.

"We are still in the process of planning our activities," said Andrea Morrill, Southeast curator of education, "but we do have some special guests scheduled for Sept. 7, including a flintknapper and a storyteller."

Topics range from man at the end of the last ice age to the Civil War. Activities include archaeological exhibits, children's programs and video showings. Locations include Cape Girardeau, Malden, New Madrid, Pilot Knob and Wappapello.

In Cape, the Thomas Beckwith Collection is a permanent part of SEMO University's museum. This collection is composed of Mississippian ceramics and stone tools that were excavated during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Beckwith was a Charleston area farmer, businessman and amateur archaeologist, according to Jim Phillips, curator of collections. After finding items and excavating mounds on his property, Beckwith turned over his collection to the Third District Normal School, Southeast's predecessor, in 1913.

In addition to seeing the Beckwith Collection, visitors on Sept. 17 will be able to attend a presentation by Phillips on "Archaeology and Artifacts: A Look at Collecting Practices of the Late 1800s."

"My presentation looks at the reasons why people collected and are still collecting today," Phillips said. "It includes the methods they used, why they used those methods and the social implications of collecting artifacts. "Collecting artifacts can involve status issues, especially in very small communities. One small viewpoint is that status is based on material possessions, rare possessions. But it really falls into two parts: One, I have the time to go out and do this, and second, look at all this cool stuff I have that you don't."

Two guests scheduled for Sept. 7 at the museum include flintknapper Larry Kinsella and storyteller Marilyn Kinsella. The couple will demonstrate American Indian flintknapping techniques and presenting stories of the American Indian culture throughout the day.

In their exhibit, the SEMO University Museum plans to arrange discovery stations where families can compare pieces of actual artifacts or replicas with what is on display. They also intend to have reproductions of American Indian tools and weapons on hand, including an atlatl (spear thrower), pump drill, bow and arrow, blow gun, etc.

"If the weather is nice, there may be an activity station outside where people can experiment with these tools and weapons, actually try them out," Morrill said.

The university museum is working on obtaining a pottery maker who exhibits traditional American Indian techniques for their Sept. 28 event.

For more information about the Missouri Archaeological Society, check out the following Web site: coas.missouri.edu/mas.