Dec. 14, 2012
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — A 22-minute film about the prehistoric earthworks in Louisiana that includes a 70-foot tall mound shaped like a giant bird will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville.
The Louisiana Public Broadcasting documentary, Poverty Point Earthworks: Evolutionary Milestones of the Americas, features the earthworks at the Poverty Point State Historic Site in northeastern Louisiana that date to 1750-1350 BC and consist of six concentric artificial earth embankments that would stretch 7.5 miles if laid end to end. Poverty Point was home to one of the most important prehistoric cultures on the continent, and is one of the few archaeological and historic sites in North America that is a state historic site and national monument.
“The film will help to explain the site’s many fascinating discoveries,” said David Rotenizer, site manager at Grave Creek Mound.
This event will be the last installment of Grave Creek’s 2012 lecture and film series, which is held in conjunction with the Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the West Virginia Archaeological Society. Grave Creek will kick off its 2013 Lecture & Film Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, with a film titled Ancient America: Eastern Woodlands. For more information, contact Andrea Keller at [email protected] or (304) 843-4128.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek features one of the largest conical burial mounds in the New World and is one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Mondays.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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