Oct. 2, 2008

The whole family will "dig" archaeology after spending the day at the Michigan Historical Museum in downtown Lansing on Saturday, Oct. 11. It's Michigan Archaeology Day, presented annually by the Michigan Historical Museum and the Office of the State Archaeologist, and admission is free. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. visitors will have the chance to meet professional archaeologists, learn of their research and adventures, see one-day-only exhibits from their digs and underwater explorations, and enjoy a variety fun family activities.

An archaeology information station in the museum lobby will offer free handouts about archaeology from the Office of the State Archaeologist, Conference on Michigan Archaeology and the Michigan Archaeological Society. Sean Dunham of Commonwealth Cultural Resources Group and other archaeologists will be on hand to answer guests' questions.

Michigan Archaeology Day activities include:

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Forum Auditorium, first floor

"Rock Art of Michigan and the Upper Midwest" at 11 a.m.
See examples of petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) from Michigan and elsewhere in our region. How can you tell if markings on rocks are natural or made by a human artist? What can rock art tell us about spiritual, social and artistic traditions? How can we protect rare and fragile rock art for future generations?

"New Developments at the Old River Raisin Battlefield Site, Monroe, Michigan" at noon
"Remember the River Raisin!" was a war cry of the War of 1812. Soldiers were killed by artillery, musket and tomahawk; settlers' homes were burned and prisoners were massacred in one of the most horrific events ever to occur on Michigan soil. Will our state's most prominent battlefield become part of the National Park system?

"Michigan Dunes" at 1 p.m.
How old are Michigan's dunes, and when did early Michigan Indians live on them? Archaeologists, geologists and tourists want to know!

"Campus Archaeology and Faculty Row: Exploring MSU's Material Past" at 2 p.m.
21st-century anthropologists and students at Michigan State University spent months locating and exploring the remains of 19th-century faculty residences, known as Faculty Row, endangered by campus construction. The excavations are part of the new MSU Campus Archaeology Program, developed to preserve valuable material history at the nation's premier land grant college.

OUTDOOR FUN
Between the visitors' parking lot and the front entrance

Archaic Skills
Practice shooting at a deer target using darts and an atl-atl (spear-thrower) like those used in Michigan forests thousands of years ago. While waiting for your turn, try chopping wood with a stone axe or drilling a hole through stone without using metal.

CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
Gabriel Richard Room, first floor

Long Ago, in Words and Picture from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Archaeological coloring pages, games and handouts for children.

Petroglyph Rubbings from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Make an image to take home using casts of some of the rock carvings at the Sanilac Petroglyphs near Bad Axe.

Storybook Reading at 12:30 p.m.
Listen to an archaeologist read "Right Here on This Spot" by Sharon Hart Addy, illustrated by John Clapp. See artifacts from the museum's collections similar to the ones pictured in the book.

DISPLAYS
Michigan Historical Museum, second floor

An Ax to Grind
How did people get their firewood, or make canoes out of wood, before metal was available? See a selection of woodworking tools ? axes, celts, adzes and others ? made of stone laboriously pecked and ground into shape thousands of years ago.

Archaeology Meets Homeland Security: Camp Grayling's Colorful Past
On the grounds of the National Guard Training Center in Crawford and Kalkaska counties lie traces of the homesteads, logging camps and Indian camps that preceded today's artillery ranges and barracks. Learn how the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is protecting our cultural heritage.

Clues to the Battle at the River Raisin
Discover the evidence for the War of 1812 battle that took place in what is now Monroe, Mich.

Mid-Michigan Archaeology
Investigate Ice Age caribou antlers and spear points, caches of netsinkers from ancient storage pits, artifacts from a frontier cabin and other intriguing finds from mid-Michigan.

Flintknapping Demonstration
How did people hunt and butcher game before there were guns and steel knives? How did they tan hides or chop down trees using only tools made of bone and stone? You will see how to make stone tools to get the job done.

Archaeology Along the Huron River
See prehistoric and historic artifacts from along the Huron River in southeastern Michigan. Students from Eastern Michigan University's field school will tell you about their adventures.

Faculty Row: Artifacts from Michigan State University's First Faculty Housing
When construction threatened to cross the oldest part of campus, MSU archaeologists and students had the opportunity to explore the remains of the original faculty residences. Students display some of their finds and answer your questions about this East Lansing excavation.

Sias East Site, Midland County
Learn about the Middle Woodland camp (about 2,000 years old) and the Late Prehistoric camp (about 500 years old) at the Sias East site on the grounds of the Chippewa Nature Center near Midland.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Fort St. Joseph
Look over a display of French and British artifacts almost 300 years old from the Fort St. Joseph excavations in southwest Michigan near Niles.

Michigan Archaeology Day, sponsored by the Friends of Michigan History, is part of a month-long celebration around the state. To see the complete roster of Michigan Archaeology Month events, visit www.michigan.gov/archaeology.

The Michigan Historical Museum, the flagship of the Michigan Historical Museum System, is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center at 702 W. Kalamazoo St. in downtown Lansing. The museum and visitor parking are on the north side of Kalamazoo Street, two blocks east of M. L. King Jr. Boulevard. Admission and weekend parking are free. Visit www.michigan.gov/museum or call (517) 373-3559 or TDD (517) 373-1592 for more information.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, whose mission is to enrich quality of life and strengthen the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity. The department also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).