Archaeology Month 2014 Events (Archive)

Events planned for Nebraska Archaeology Month 2014 have concluded! Keep up to date on plans for Nebraska Archaeology Month events in 2015 by continuing to visit our blog and "Liking" us on Facebook!

---

Archaeology Month 2014 Event Information

Alliance	Denton	North Platte	Seward
Aurora	Fort Calhoun	Omaha	South Sioux City
Bellevue	Lincoln	Plattsmouth	Thedford
Blair	Nebraska City	Royal	Missouri Valley, IA
Crawford

---

Event Listings

Listed alphabetically by town

---

Alliance

"Archaeological Investigations at Fort Robinson, Nebraska"

Date & Time: Thursday, September 25, 6:30-8:00 pm
Location: Knight Museum and Sandhills Center, 908 Yellowstone Avenue
Information: cityofalliance.net/Calendar
Admission: Free
Amy Koch, Archeologist at the Nebraska State Historical Society, will present her program "Archaeological Investigations at Fort Robinson, Nebraska."

Aurora

Nebraska Archaeological Society Quarterly Meeting

Date & Time: Saturday, August 2, 1:30-2:30 pm
Location: Alice M. Farr Library, 1603 L Street
Information: sites.google.com/site/webnas/home
Admission: Free
A short business meeting followed by a program relating to archaeology.

Bellevue

Archaeology of the Nebraska Phase Culture of Fontenelle Forest

Date & Time: Sunday, September 7 and September 14, 1:00-3:00 pm
Location: Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, 1111 North Bellevue Blvd.
Information: fontenelleforest.org/events
Admission: Free for members or with daily admission - $7 per adult, $6 per senior (62+), $5 per child/student (2-17), Free for children under age 2
On Fontenelle Forest property, 70+ Earth Lodge sites have been located, and some of these have been excavated and mapped. These family lodges were home to a large group of people known as the Nebraska Phase Culture, a group who lived in the forest over 1000 years ago. Linda Plock, from the Midwest Archeological Center - National Park Service in Lincoln, will be available to show visitors artifacts and replica artifacts, and share other information about how the Nebraska Phase Culture lived and what they ate while they made Fontenelle Forest home. You and your family can stop by and talk to Linda any time between 1 and 3 pm at her table which will be set up in the atrium or Great Hall at our main Nature Center.

Nature Explorers: Discovering the Past

Date & Time: Saturday, September 13, 1:00-3:00 pm
Location: Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, 1111 North Bellevue Blvd.
Information: fontenelleforest.org/events
Admission: Free for members or with daily admission.
September is "Archaeology Month" in Nebraska. The explorers will visit the earth lodge site just off the boardwalk to participate in a scientific model dig. The group will discover clues about the Nebraska Phase early people who called our forest home. This program is for children ages 5-12. *Note* Registration is required (see link above).

Archaeology on History Trail

Date & Time: Saturday, September 20, 10:00 am
Location: Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, 1111 North Bellevue Blvd.
Information: fontenelleforest.org/events
Admission: Free for members or with daily admission - $7 per adult, $6 per senior (62+), $5 per child/student (2-17), Free for children under age 2
Did you know there have been several archaeological digs in Fontenelle Forest? Come out and see and hear about some of them as we take History Trail back in time. From the earliest Native Americans, the early founders of what is today Bellevue, to a hermit, History Trail has it all. Please note: some of the trail is steep.

Crawford

26th Annual Knap-In at Hudson-Meng

Date & Time: August 30-September 1, 9am-5pm
Location: Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Bed (19 miles north of Crawford, Nebraska)
Information: Call Kathleen Hanson or Dennis Kuhnel at (308)-432-0300
Admission: Adults-$5, Seniors (60+)-$4.50, Children(5-12)-$3, Under 3 yrs - Free
Ancient Indian Craft Demonstrations, Atlatl Weapon Contests, Prehistoric Artifact Roadshow, Stone Tool-making

"Exploring Pit Hearths on the Oglala National Grassland": A guided interpretive hike

Date & Time: Wednesday, September 3, 5:00pm-7:30pm and Saturday, September 6, 5:00pm-7:30pm
Location: Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center (19 miles north of Crawford, Nebraska)
Admission: Free
A guided interpretive hike by USDA Forest Service Archaeological Technician, Chris Rowe. Check back for more information as it becomes available!

"The Archaeological Landscape of the Battle of Warbonnet Creek": A guided excursion

Date & Time: Wednesday, September 10, 5:00pm-7:30pm and Saturday, September 13, 5:00pm-7:30pm
Location: Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center (19 miles north of Crawford, Nebraska)
Admission: Free
Join the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center Rangers for a guided excursion to experience the famous Battle of Warbonnet. Also known as the "First Scalp for Custer," the Battle of Warbonnet took place after Custer's defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Hudson-Meng Park Rangers will show the site, recount its history, and will discuss how it was rediscovered after being lost from living memory. This special two hour multi-media program is free and participants can meet at the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center. The program will begin with a 20-minute introduction to the Battle of Warbonnet at the facility. Visitors will then follow a USDA Forest Service vehicle from the Hudson-Meng Center to Montrose, NE - site of the Battle of Warbonnet. Participants should be comfortable driving on gravel roads for periods of half an hour. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing, as walking through tall grass will occur. Call ahead in case of inclement weather.

"Hudson-Meng: New Archaeological Investigations of a Classic Paleoindian Bison Kill": an indoor interpretive program

Date & Time: Wednesday, September 17, 5:00pm-7:30pm and Saturday, September 20, 5:00pm-7:30pm
Location: Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center (19 miles north of Crawford, Nebraska)
Admission: Free
An indoor interpretive program presented by Dennis Kuhnel of the USDA Forest Service. Check back for more information as it becomes available!

"Imagining the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center and Vore Bison Jump Foundation Partnership, 2012-2014": an indoor interpretive program

Date & Time: Wednesday, September 24, 5:00pm-7:30pm and Saturday, September 27, 5:00pm-7:30pm
Location: Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center (19 miles north of Crawford, Nebraska)
Admission: Free
An indoor interpretive program presented by Alex Miller, Kathleen Hanson, and Dennis Kuhnel, USDA Forest Service. Check back for more information as it becomes available!

Denton

Twilight on the Tallgrass

Date & Time: Saturday, September 13, 5pm-10pm
Location: Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, Southwest 100th Street
Information: springcreekprairie.audubon.org
Admission: Suggested Donation: $5/person (Children under 12: Free)
Interact with an archaeologist as they speak about historical archaeology and the Great Plains. Other professionals will be available to talk about other aspects of the Great Plains.

Fort Calhoun

Archaeology at Fort Atkinson: A Walking Tour

Date & Time: September 6-7, 10am-5pm (Archaeology events begin at 12:30 pm).
Location: Fort Atkinson
Information: Event Flyer (PDF)
Website: outdoornebraska.ne.gov/parks/
Admission: Nebraska Park Entry Permit Required (Daily Permit - $5, Annual Permit - $25). Visitor Center - Adults-$2, Children-$1
A walking tour by Nolan Johnson (Nebraska State Historical Society Archaeologist) about archaeological excavations at Fort Atkinson will take place Saturday at 2 pm and Sunday at 12:30 pm. In addition, Rob Bozell, Highway Archaeology Program Manager, will be presenting on the Archaeology of Engineer Cantonment on Saturday at 12:30 pm. Coincides with a living-history weekend at Fort Atkinson, featuring volunteers recreating the lives of the soldiers, artisans, and civilians that lived in and around the outpost. Be sure to also check out the Archaeology Room for kids in the Northeast Quadrant of the Fort!

Lincoln

"Lincoln Underground" - Presentation to the Lincoln Rotary Club #14

Date & Time: Tuesday, August 19th, 12:00-1:00 pm
Location: Nebraska Club, 233 S. 13th Street, 20th Floor
Information: rotary14.org/weekly-meetings
Admission: Open to Rotary Club Members and their Guests
A presentation on the Archaeology of and under Lincoln, Nebraska, as presented by Dr. Peter Bleed and NSHS Archaeologist Courtney Ziska to the Lincoln Rotary Club #14 at their August 19th Tuesday Meeting.

"Why does the Nebraska State Historical Society have a suit of Armor?" Lessons from the John G. Bourke Armor, a Presentation by Anthropologist Dr. Peter Bleed.

Date & Time: Thursday, August 21, 12 Noon
Location: Nebraska History Museum, '15th' and 'P' Streets
Information: Event Flyer (PDF)
Website: nebraskahistory.org
Admission: Free
Bring your lunch for this presentation by Dr. Peter Bleed!

"Place, Practice and Process in Hopewell Culture", a Lecture by Dr. James Brown

Date & Time: Thursday, August 28, 7:00 pm
Location: Richards Hall, Room 15 (UNL Campus)
Information: Event Flyer (PDF)
Admission: Free
In this public talk, Dr. James Brown will synthesize archaeological observations made over the course of his career regarding the social processes involved in the florescence of Ohio Hopewell ritual activity during the first four centuries of the common era (including the building of monumental earthworks and astronomic observations).
[Dr. Brown is an Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Northwestern University, a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, and an internationally recognized expert on Hopewell and Woodland culture. He directed excavations at the famous site of Mound City (part of the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park) in 1963 and has spent his career exploring the unique role of Hopewell culture in the prehistory of North America.]

Archaeology Open House and Public Talk - Midwest Archeological Center (National Park Service)

Date & Time: Friday, September 5, 2-4:30pm, Talk at 4:30pm
Location: 100 Centennial Mall North, Room 474 (Robert V. Denney Federal Building)
Information: Event Flyer (PDF)
Website: nps.gov/mwac
Admission: Free
The Midwest Archeological Center, an office of the National Park Service, conducts research and curates museum collections for National Parks across the United States. The Center will host an Open House to celebrate Nebraska Archaeology Month on Friday, September 5. This event will feature exhibits on current projects in Nebraska and across the Midwest, tours of NPS archaeological collections, and a lecture by Archeologist William Hunt. Dr. Hunt will present an overview of investigations at Fort Scott National Historic Site.
This event is free and open to the public. No registration is required, but all visitors must have a valid photo ID and pass through a security screening area for entry into the Denney Federal Building. Limited visitor parking is available on the ground floor of the Federal parking garage, at “N” Street and Centennial Mall.

Archaeology Happy Hour

Date & Time: Friday, September 5, 4:30pm-7:00pm
Location: Ploughshare Brewing Co. - 1630 P Street
Admission: Free
Come to Ploughshare Brewing Co. for a Archaeology Happy Hour/FAC. This event will follow William Hunt's talk at the MWAC Open House (see event above). All are encouraged to come, archaeologist or otherwise!

"Antiques and Artifacts Roadshow" - Apple Corps Extension Presentation

Date & Time: Tuesday, September 9th, 11:00-1:30 pm
Location: Eastmont Towers
A presentation presented by Dr. Peter Bleed as part of the Apple Corps Extension, providing the community with educational programming.

Archaeology Free Family Fun Day

Date & Time: Saturday, September 13, 2:00-4:00 pm
Location: Nebraska State Historical Society Headquarters Building, 1500 R Street
Information: Event Flyer (PDF)
Website: nebraskahistory.org
Admission: Free
Free Family Fun Day with a variety of archaeology themed activities for all ages! Activities include a chance to meet Archaeologists, see an archaeological timeline, dig to find artifacts, and make-and-take projects. (Supplies are provided. No reservations necessary, just drop in!)

Sunday with a Scientist: Explore Nebraska Archaeology

Date & Time: Sunday, September 21, 1:30-4:30 pm
Location: Morrill Hall (south of 14th and Vine Streets on the UNL City Campus)
Information: museum.unl.edu/sundaywithascientist
Admission: Members, UNL Faculty/Staff, UNL Students: Free. Non-Members: Regular Museum Admission
The University of Nebraska State Museum's September Sunday with a Scientist program for children and families will explore Nebraska archaeology with the Nebraska State Historical Society and the National Park Service's Midwest Archeological Center. Discover how Archaeologists use modern technology to study the human past. Hands-on activities will including working with GPS (global positioning system) to document archaeological finds, and using GPR (ground penetrating radar) to understand how archaeologists know where and how to dig to find artifacts in the ground (weather permitting). Other activities will include making a hearth (fire pit) profile, dig boxes and an activity to learn how archaeologists use seriation (relative dating techniques) to determine the age of artifacts.

Nebraska City

Presentation by Rob Bozell - Recent Archaeological Work at Catron Mill

Date & Time: Sunday, September 7, 2:30-3:30 pm
Location: River Country Nature Center, 114 S. 6th Street
Information: rivercountrynaturecenter.org/
Admission: Free
Rob Bozell, Highway Archeology Program Manager at the Nebraska State Historical Society, will present on the HAP's recent work at the local Catron Mill site.

North Platte

Guided Bus Tour of Duke Alexis Hunt Site

Date & Time: Sunday, September 21, 1-4pm
Location: Lincoln County Historical Museum, 2403 N. Buffalo Bill Ave.
Information: Event Flyer (PDF)
Website: lincolncountymuseum.org/grand-duke-hunt
Bus Tour of Duke Alexis Hunt Site, guided by Dr. Peter Bleed. Purchase tickets at the museum. To take place during the Grand Duke Alexis Rendezvous, September 19-21.

Celebrate Nebraska Archaeology! at the North Platte Area Children's Museum

Date & Time: Saturday, September 27, 2:00 pm
Location: North Platte Area Children's Museum, 314 North Jeffers
Information: npchildrensmuseum.com/
Admission: Regular Admission prices apply. $4/person, under 24 months is Free and guests over 60 pay only $3.
Come join the North Platte Area Children's Museum in celebrating Nebraska Archaeology Month! We will have a special guest presenter, Morgan Beyer, teaching all about Nebraska archaeology, as well as showing how to recreate prehistoric pottery in a fun, hands-on activity! Kids of All Ages are welcome to come!

Omaha

"Digitization, Digital Restoration, and Visualization of Antiquities: Medieval Manuscripts and Scrolls from Herculaneum" - A Public Lecture by Dr. Brent Seales (University of Kentucky)

Date & Time: Thursday, September 25, 5:30 pm (Reception to Follow)
Location: Harper Center 3208, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza
Information: https://www.facebook.com/events/
Admission: All AIA lectures are free and open to the public
This lecture will highlight achievements over the past ten years in the digitization and digital analysis of text found on cultural objects: inscriptions, manuscripts, and scrolls from Herculaneum. While re-telling the stores of these objects - creation, discovery, importance, damage, digitization, and ongoing efforts at preservation - this lecture will build a story about emerging methods for imaging and analysis. These digital methods and the computational support for the models they produce form the foundation of a powerful, democratized framework for visualization and scholarly exploration. The digitization of objects from across collections at unprecedented scale supports a new era of digital restoration that can enable compelling new discoveries and solutions to long-standing problems.
This public lecture is made possible through the generous support of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Creighton University and the Archaeological Institute of America.
[Dr. Seales is Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Director of the Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments at the University of Kentucky. His research program is focused on digital imagery applied to challenges in surgical simulation and technology, visualization technology, and the digitization and digital restoration of antiquities.]

"Under Omaha"

Date & Time: Thursday, October 2, 5:30-8:00 pm
Location: Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street
Information: joslyn.org/
Admission: Free
"We all know that the Greater Omaha area is a fantastic place to live. What many don't know is it's been that way for thousands of years. Early hunter-gatherers, agricultural Native American tribes, and Euroamerican explorers, military, fur traders, missionaries, and settlers; have left an important and rich archeological record buried near and under our city. Join Nebraska State Historical Society Archaeologist Rob Bozell for a look at why archeological research in the Omaha area has played such an important role in unraveling the deep history of the Missouri River Valley and the central Great Plains." Cash bar opens at 5 pm, talk at 6:30 pm.

Plattsmouth

"Archaeology and Steamboat Wrecks of the Missouri River"

Date & Time: Tuesday, September 23, 12pm-1pm
Location: Cass County Historical Museum, 646 Main Street
Information: casscountynemuseum.org
Admission: Free
Sandra Barnum, archaeologist with the US Army Corps of Engineers, will give a Brown Bag talk sponsored by the Cass County Historical Museum. The event is free and open to the public. Coffee and cookies are served.

Royal

Fossil & Artifact Identification Day

Date & Time: Saturday, August 9
Location: Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
Information: ashfall.unl.edu/
Admission: Entrance Fee: $5/person ages 3+ and Nebraska Park Entry Permit: $5 Daily Permit -or- $26 Annual Permit
Puzzled about a fossil or artifact you have discovered? Paleontologist Dr. Mike Voorhies and Rob Bozell, Highway Archeology Program Manager at the State Historical Society, will help identify items.

Seward

10th Annual Nebraska Artifact Show

Date & Time: Saturday, August 16, 9am-5pm
Location: Seward County Fairgrounds - Harvest Hall
Information: Event Flyer (PDF)
Website: sites.google.com/site/webnas/nebraska-artifact-show/2014
Admission: Adults - $3, Children 12 & under - Free
World-Class Displays of Prehistoric Stone Artifacts from the Great Plains Region, Professional Identification of Artifacts and Bone, Atlatl Demonstration, Flint Knapping Demonstration. Presentation: "A Brief History of Glass Beads in the Indian Trade" by Jeffrey J. Richner, National Park Service (retired) at 1:30 pm.

South Sioux City

"Archaeology in Nebraska"

Date & Time: Thursday, September 25, 6:30 pm
Location: South Sioux City Library, 2121 Dakota Avenue
Information: southsiouxcity.org/library
Admission: Free
Nolan Johnson, archaeologist with the Nebraska State Historical Society Highway Archeology Program, will give a talk sponsored by the South Sioux City Library entitled "Archaeology in Nebraska."

Thedford

Presentation by Rob Bozell - Topic to be announced

Date & Time: Sunday, September 21 - Time to be announced
Location: Thomas County Historical Society Museum, 609 Court St. (Nebraska Highway 2)
Information: tourthomascountynebraska.com/attractions
Admission: Free
Rob Bozell, Highway Archeology Program Manager at the Nebraska State Historical Society, will present at the Thomas County Historical Society Museum, topic to be announced.

Missouri Valley, IA/Blair, NE

Steamboat Bertrand Museum Collection Curator Chat

Date & Time: Saturday and Sunday, September 27-28, 1-1:30 pm
Location: DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, 316th Lane
Information: www.fws.gov/refuge/Desoto/
Admission: $3/vehicle
Celebrate Archaeology Month in Nebraska and Iowa with a Curator Chat, "Curiosities of the Steamboat Bertrand Collection," to be held in the Visitor Center. Chat with a museum curator and learn the inside story of the Steamboat Bertrand, her passengers, and the artifacts left behind.

Missouri Valley, IA/Blair, NE

Steamboat Bertrand Museum Collection Curator Chat

Date & Time: Saturday and Sunday, October 4-5, 1-1:30 pm
Location: DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, 316th Lane
Information: www.fws.gov/refuge/Desoto/
Admission: $3/vehicle
Celebrate Archaeology Month in Nebraska and Iowa with a Curator Chat, "Curiosities of the Steamboat Bertrand Collection," to be held in the Visitor Center. Chat with a museum curator and learn the inside story of the Steamboat Bertrand, her passengers, and the artifacts left behind.

Missouri Valley, IA/Blair, NE

Steamboat Bertrand Museum Collection Illustrated Talk

Date & Time: Saturday, October 11, 1-2 pm
Location: DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, 316th Lane
Information: www.fws.gov/refuge/Desoto/
Admission: $3/vehicle
Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week! Join us at 1:00 p.m. in the visitor center for an expanded curator chat. This special Bertrand Museum Collection illustrated talk highlights (a week early) our recognition of International Archaeology Day (October 18). This is also the first of a number of in-depth talks presented periodically to highlight the commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Bertrand sinking on April 1, 1865.

Missouri Valley, IA/Blair, NE

Steamboat Bertrand Museum Collection Curator Chat

Date & Time: Sunday, October 12, 1-1:30 pm
Location: DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, 316th Lane
Information: www.fws.gov/refuge/Desoto/
Admission: Fee Free Day in Celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week
Celebrate Archaeology Month in Nebraska and Iowa with a Curator Chat, "Curiosities of the Steamboat Bertrand Collection," to be held in the Visitor Center. Chat with a museum curator and learn the inside story of the Steamboat Bertrand, her passengers, and the artifacts left behind.