(Flagstaff, Ariz.)—The past comes alive at Archaeology Day at the Museum of Northern Arizona on Saturday, March 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can practice prehistoric life skills such as grinding corn and making cordage. See a flint knapping demonstration by Dr. Carl Phagan, an eminent archaeologist, on how ancient people created weapons and tools from stone.
An informative line up of lecturers will speak about protecting and studying cultural resources. From 11 a.m. to noon MNA’s Senior Curator of Anthropology Dr. David R. Wilcox focuses on Hilltop Communication Systems and Warfare in West Central Arizona A.D. 1100–1450. Hilltop sites throughout this region long thought to be forts, retreats, lookouts, or ceremonial sites will be reexamined as a communication system that may have linked the region together socially, economically, and as protection from enemies.
Peter J. Pilles Jr., Coconino National Forest Archaeologist since 1975, will talk from
1–2 p.m. about Tim’s Cave Artifacts Then and Now. This archaeological site has an amazing story of illegal pothunting and the return of stolen artifacts now housed in the MNA collections, in trust for the Forest Service and the public.
Throughout the day Dr. Chris Downum from NAU’s Anthropology Department will present 3-D Scanning and Mapping of the Wupatki Ruins, a three-dimensional color digital photography animation loop highlighting the main ruins at Wupatki, including the Citadel and Nalakihu Pueblos.
Cultural Resource Specialist J. Grace Ellis from Grand Canyon National Park will lead two sessions for young people. From 1–2 p.m. she will present Introduction to Artifacts for Kids for ages 6–10 and from 3–4 p.m. ages 9 and up will enjoy What Kind of Life Is That?—Careers in Archaeology.
At 12:30 p.m., six 2004 statewide Bookmark Design Competition winners from Weitzel Elementary School will be presented awards by Tom Woodall, Northern Arizona Chapter President of the Arizona Archaeological Society and Robert Breunig, Director of the Museum of Northern Arizona. The six Flagstaff winners are among 24 total winners across Arizona. The following winners are from Diane Sanders’ third grade art class and won in the Grades 1–4 category:
| 1st Place | Maria Lopez | $50 award | |
| 2nd Place | Amanda Edmondson | $25 award | |
| 3rd Place (tie) | Cody Fetty | $10 award | |
| 4th Place (tie) | Maria Rodriguez | $10 award | |
| Honorable Mention | Sean Scott | $5 award | |
| Honorable Mention | Kira Hart | $5 award |
Elden Lab will teach prehistoric artifact analysis from excavated materials at Elden Pueblo. This after-excavation process provides archaeologists valuable data for analysis. Members of the Northern Arizona Archaeological Society identify, date, chart, and classify artifacts.
A gallery guide is available to all visitors in the Museum’s Archaeology Gallery with hands-on exhibit pieces to touch and fun craft activities that involve rock art and shell bracelets.
Admission to Archaeology Day is included with the Museum’s regular entrance fee and admission for members is always free. Arizona Archaeology Awareness Month is celebrated statewide in March and focuses on current efforts to preserve the past by protecting our fragile and non-renewable cultural resources. The Museum of Northern Arizona is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180.
For further information go to www.musnaz.org or 928/774-5213.