Archaeology in Your Own Backyard
Sunday, July 29, 2 p.m.
Neosho County Community College, 900 E Logan, Ottawa, KS
The land is much older than we are, and evidence of the people who came before us can be found in the soil. As pieces of farm tools, dishes, pottery, arrowheads, and nails come to the surface, they connect us to the past. What should we do if we find something? How do we identify it? Do we get to keep it?
Kansas archaeologist Aaron Colgrove will present “Archaeology in Your Own Backyard” on Sunday, July 29, 2 p.m. at Neosho County Community College in Ottawa, Kansas. The program is free and open to the public.
Colgrove is the principal archaeologist with Icarus Archaeology LLC and works in conjunction with multiple county museums in Eastern Kansas. He assists museums in artifact identification and curation, site damage assessments and repairs, and public outreach and education.
“Preserving the past allows those who are no longer with us to be remembered and their stories retold,” Colgrove said. “Being an archaeologist allows me a chance to preserve our collective heritage so that future generations can appreciate the victories and hardships our ancestors had to endure.”
The program will explore what archaeology is and isn’t and examine tools used by modern archaeologists. Colgrove will talk about potential hazards that can come with excavating artifacts as well as from the artifacts themselves, and he’ll explain some of the national and state laws and debunk a few myths pertaining to discovering artifacts.
For more information, contact the Old Depot Museum at (785) 242-1250 or FCHS executive director Diana Staresinic-Deane at director@olddepotmuseum.org.
Founded in 1937, the Franklin County Historical Society strives to preserve, present, and promote the history of Franklin County, Kansas.
