April 16, 2012

 News…

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — A prehistoric rock shelter in Pennsylvania that helps explain how for thousands of years people have adapted to and shaped their environment to survive and build a better life will be the focus of a Thursday, April 26, lecture at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville.

David Scofield, director of the Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Avella, Pa., will present “Telling a Big Story: Preservation and Public Presentation of the Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village” beginning at 7 p.m. in the Delf Norona Museum.
The program is part of Grave Creek’s 2012 monthly lecture and film series, and is free and open to the public.

The Meadowcroft Rockshelter is a National Historic Landmark recognized for its contributions to the study of the earliest Americans. With evidence that humans were present there some 16,000 years ago, it is considered one of the oldest continually occupied archaeological sites in North America.

“I know folks will enjoy hearing about the Meadowcroft Shelter and Historic Village,” said David Rotenizer, site manager at Grave Creek Mound.

The 2012 lecture series continues Thursday, May 31, when Patrick D. Trader, principal investigator at Gray and Pape, Inc., will discuss “Exploring the Dark Zone: Archaeological Investigations at Mammoth Cave.”

For more information about the lecture and film series, which is held in conjunction with the Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the West Virginia Archaeological Society, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator at Grave Creek Mound, at (304) 843-4128 or email her at Andrea.K.Keller@wv.gov. Indicate in the message if you are interested in receiving information about upcoming events at the mound.

Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. The Delf Norona Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m. and may close due to inclement weather.

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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