Jan. 19, 2017
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. – Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will kick off the new year with three films, a garden program and craft activities for the entire family. All events are free and open to the public.
Family-oriented crafts will be available at the museum’s Discovery Table. In January, visitors can put the finishing touches on an indoor snowman by adding arms, buttons, a hat and other decorations to a pre-cut snowman. “West Virginia Petroglyphs” will be the topic in February. Examples will be available and patrons can draw their own designs on postcards. They also can use stickers and other decorations to make a Valentine’s Day card through Feb. 14.
Those wishing to hasten the spring season are invited to join in a series of garden-related activities from noon - 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4. Crops from the museum’s Interpretive Garden will be processed, including corn that needs to be shucked and beans that need to be shelled. Visitors can make corn- husk dolls and use brightly colored tissue paper to make flowers. In addition, they can learn how to make “clones” of spider plants and cactus that they can plant and take home with help from local master gardeners.
The 2017 Lecture and Film Series will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, with a showing of the film “Lewis and Clark: Eastern Legacy.” The film follows Lewis and Clark on their epic journey and features West Virginia locations such as Harpers Ferry, where Lewis picked up equipment; Wellsburg, where Patrick Gass, the oldest surviving expedition member, is buried; Wheeling, where a red pirogue and additional supplies were added; and Grave Creek Mound. Lewis visited these locations on his way to meet Clark at the Falls of the Ohio, from where the expedition headed west. Lewis’ description of Grave Creek Mound will be read after the film. The 20-minute documentary was produced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division.
The “Second Saturday” film, titled “The Real George Washington,” will be shown at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11. The film uncovers the man behind the myth as archaeologists and historians explore the ruins of Washington’s childhood home and a team of forensic experts and artists recreate Washington’s face as he appeared in real life. The 50-minute documentary was created by National Geographic.
Black History Month will be celebrated with the film “Roots of Resistance: The Story of the Underground Railroad,” which will air at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23. The story of the flight to freedom is told through the words of escaped slaves and recollections of their descendants. The one-hour documentary was produced by the Public Broadcasting Service as part of the American Experience Series.
Visitors can tour the newest exhibits, The Buried Past: Artifacts from West Virginia’s Wild, Wonderful History, which showcases a series of West Virginia archaeological sites selected from the curation facility, and Prehistoric West Virginia, which features casts of some of the large Ice Age animals that once roamed West Virginia courtesy of Prehistoric Planet.
For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere 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.
Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m., and may be closed all day during inclement weather.
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