Living
Bell County Museum schedules programs for Archeology Month
Monday, 03 October 2011 by Keith Bahlmann
The Bell County Museum will present several programs this month commemorating Texas Archeology Month.
From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Oct. 8, living history interpreter Curtis Carter will be at the museum to discuss and demonstrate Plains Indian material culture. Curtis, a biology teacher in Springtown, Texas, will erect his own tipi and will bring artifacts from Plains Indian culture and demonstrate how they were used.
He will address diverse topics such as hide tanning, grinding earth paints, painting with buffalo bone brushes, and even show toys used by Plains Indian children.
Stephanie Turnham, museum director, said, "Museum visitors will really enjoy Curtis. He is so enthusiastic about Plains Indian life, and is very easy to talk to. He and his objects are a delight for all ages."
The museum will also organize a guided tour of the internationally significant Gault Site on Oct. 22. "This is an opportunity for the public to visit a working archaeological site of enormous import right in our own back yard," Turnham said. "The archaeologists at Gault are also interested in attracting new volunteers, so folks can see and learn about the site to decide if they'd like to work there."
The tour is limited to 30 people.
To sign up, contact Troy Gray at the museum.
Finally, the museum has a permanent exhibit on the Gault Site, so a visit here will introduce folks to the site before visiting the real site.
Also, every Saturday in October, the museum's archeology pits will be open. Youngsters can explore and discover reproduction artifacts from a 2,000 B.C. campsite and an 1880s farmhouse.
Admission to all of these events is free. The Bell County Museum is located at 201 N. Main in Belton, TX. For more information, please call the museum at (254) 933-5243.
