Archeology Fair Gets Bigger, Better

By Karen Gleason
Staff Writer, Del Rio News-Herald

Reprinted with permission of the Del Rio News-Herald
Published October 16, 2005

The Val Verde County Archeology Fair is held by partners: Amistad National Recreation Area, National Park Service; the Shumla School; and the Whitehead Memorial Museum. This Fair was held October 14–15, 2005.

Yes, the Fifth Annual Val Verde County Archeology Fair at the Whitehead Memorial Museum Friday and Saturday was a great place to learn about the cultures and lifeways of ancient and historic peoples.

And, yes, the fair was a great place to learn about how those unique cultures contributed to the place we live in.

But mostly, it was just a lot of fun.

The fair began with a "students only" day Friday at the museum from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

According to Lisa Evans, Amistad National Recreation Area education specialist, about just over 1,000 youngsters, as well as 150 teachers and parent volunteers attended the event.

Evans said although this is the fifth year of the archeology fair, it is the only the second year the fair has been expanded to two days to accommodate local schoolchildren.

Hundreds of youngsters also attended the fair Saturday.

The museum grounds opened at 10 a.m., and there was plenty to keep youngsters and their parents entertained until the 3 p.m. closing time.

Maria Sorola and her staff at the Casa De La Cultura showed children how to make bowls, figures, even "Jay Jay the Jet Plane" from rolled coils of clay.

Youngsters could also practice the ancient art of atlatl and boomerang throwing, molding adobe bricks from mud, gravel, and straw, crafting their own reed flutes, and painting pictographs on rocks.

Children and their parents could also try their hand at carding wool and weaving on a tabletop loom, excavating dirt and artifacts from their own archeological "dig," and cording a fiber bracelet.

And if the little ones got tired of all that doing, there were also a number of entertaining and informative presentations, including a talk on local archeology by the Amistad National Recreation Area's own archeologist Joe Labadie.

Labadie said after his presentation that events like the fair help teach children—and their parents—about the "interesting differences" in the history of every culture. Learning, understanding and appreciating those differences, Labadie said, "might get rid of some of the divisiveness among us."

Another popular demonstration, by the Queton family, featured traditional Kiowa dress and dance, as well as an exhibition of "fancy dancing," native American competition dancing, by the Quetons' eldest son, Lance.

Dr. Phil Dering of the Shumla School, also gave a talk on ritual tools and artifacts used by shamen of the Lower Pecos.