As part of Arizona’s Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month, the Museum of Northern Arizona hosts its annual Aha! Archaeology Day on Saturday, March 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to highlight the wonders of northern Arizona’s archaeological and cultural heritage. Free admission during event hours is sponsored by MNA Environmental Solutions.
MNA, Elden Pueblo, and the Northern Arizona Archaeological Society present hands-on artifact exploration and analysis; the prehistoric technologies of pump drilling, cordage making, and weaving; regional foods and their preparation; educational games and crafts; and gallery tours by MNA docents.
Kids receive a “Passport to the Past” as they enter the Museum and earn a Junior Curator Badge by visiting activity stations in the galleries. MNA docents have created a new scavenger hunt for kids, which focuses upon themes, images, and artifacts featured in the Fragile Antiquities exhibit.
At 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., take a 45-minute tour with knowledgeable MNA docents of MNA’s new exhibit, Fragile Antiquities: Commemorating 100 years of the Antiquities Act that opens on the same day. The photography of Dr. Gene Balzer and Russ Gilbert depict the inspiring natural and cultural landscapes of the Colorado Plateau. Photos and associated artifacts tell an important story about how the Four Corners region has been impacted by the hundred-year legacy of the Antiquities Act, a federal law passed in 1906 to preserve and protect our nation’s fragile and nonrenewable cultural sites and resources.
At 11 a.m., kids and families join MNA docents for the popular Thief of Time, a 45-minute interactive program that explores the imaginary site of “Trash Can Ruins.” Learn how the unlawful practices of pot hunting and looting destroy and fragment the archaeological record and understanding of the past. Learn the importance of archaeological context and the preservation of artifacts and historic sites.
At 2 p.m., archaeologist Dennis Gilpin of SWCA Environmental Consultants discusses archaeology in the American Southwest prior to the passing of the Antiquities Act. His lecture is titled The Cutting Edge Research of Victor and Cosmos Mindeleff: 1881 to 1900.
Elden Lab teaches prehistoric artifact analysis from excavated materials at Elden Pueblo. This post-excavation process provides archaeologists valuable data for analysis. Also, members of the Northern Arizona Archaeological Society share how they identify, date, chart, and classify artifacts.
The Museum of Northern Arizona seeks to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau. It is located at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, just three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180. Additional information about the Museum is available at 928/774-5213 or at www.musnaz.org
Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month Lectures at the Museum of Northern Arizona
Saturday, March 11, 2 p.m.
Chris Downum, Director of NAU’s Anthropology Lab, speaks on Flagstaff Monuments and the Antiquities Act, with emphasis on Walnut Canyon, Wupatki National Monument, and Sunset Crater.
Saturday, March 18, 2 p.m.
Peter Pilles, Coconino National Forest Archaeologist, talks about the Antiquities Act in relation to the life work of archaeologist Jesse Walter Fewkes. Archaeological sites in northern Arizona, the Verde Valley, and Mesa Verde National Park are discussed.
Saturday, March 25, 2 p.m.
Dr. David Wilcox, MNA Senior Curator of Anthropology, shares his thoughts on the Antiquities Act in relation to Montezuma Castle National Monument and neighboring archaeological sites.