Tennessee Archaeology Awareness Month celebration planned for Aug. 31

JOHNSON CITY – A Tennessee Archaeology Awareness Month celebration will be held Saturday, Aug. 31, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Gray Fossil Site and Hands On! Discovery Center.

The day will include a variety of activities and demonstrations for all ages led by experts from East Tennessee State University and the McClung Museum at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Scientists, students and volunteers will display artifacts from Tennessee and beyond, demonstrate research methods using drones and remote sensing, and lead visitors in such activities as spear-throwing and flintknapping.

At 11 a.m., ETSU’s Dr. Chris Widga will present a talk, “More than a Mutt: New Insights into America’s Earliest Dogs,” regarding his research into the archaeological record of ancient Americans’ canine companions.

All Archaeology Day activities are free and open to the public, and are also included with admission to the Hands On! Discovery Center, which is $10 for adults and children 4 and older.

The Gray Fossil Site is a one-of-a-kind paleontological resource preserving the remains of hundreds of extinct species that lived in East Tennessee 5 million years ago.  Discovered in 2000 during road construction, the site is now home to the ETSU Museum of Natural History and the Hands On! Discovery Center.  It is a hub of education and scientific research.

For more information, call 423-439-4263 or visit https://visithandson.org/visit/.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Hill
hill@etsu.edu
423-439-4317