GRAND CANYON, Ariz. – Grand Canyon National Park will host its seventh annual Archaeology Day celebration, Saturday, commemorating Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month. Special programs, activities and demonstrations will be held at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center throughout the day, including a talk by Jessica Lomatewama about women’s roles in Hopi culture at 11 a.m. in the Visitor Center Theater. A special evening program at the Shrine of the Ages on Ethnobotany will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month was created over 30 years ago to inform the public about archaeology in the state of Arizona. In Grand Canyon National Park alone, over 4,300 archaeological sites have been recorded to date, and archaeologists estimate that the park may have as many as 50,000 – 60,000 sites. Some of the artifacts found in the park date back almost 12,000 years, testimony to the vast extent of the human history of the area. That history lives on as the descendents of those ancient peoples continue to utilize the area today.
Grand Canyon National Park’s Archaeology Day is intended to help park visitors learn more about those who lived here long ago and to gain a greater understanding of the work that archaeologists do and what can be learned from their research. The event will feature opportunities for visitors to try their hands at making clay pinch pots and split-twig figurines; creating rock art using scratch art paper; sifting for artifacts; and planting corn, beans and squash seeds – traditional foods of the park’s native peoples.
Additionally, there will be cultural demonstrations of Hopi kachina carving and basket making, and a weaving demonstration.
All activities are free of charge and family friendly and will take place between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center.
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