UA Cossatot’s agriculture building, on the De Queen Campus, was the meeting place for the 2019 4-H Day of Archaeology.   The annual event took place this year from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday, June 15, 2019.  Twenty youth 4-H members participated in this event from De Queen, Monticello, Booneville, and Cave City.

The Arkansas Archaeological Society is conducting research this summer in Sevier County.  Besides doing research in the field at an undisclosed dig site, team members are also conducting lab research on the UA Cossatot De Queen campus, with artifacts that were discovered back in the 1980’s at the Holman Springs salt mines, also located here in the area.      

Members of the society worked alongside 4-H participants to educate the youth about previous findings that were discovered in Sevier County.  4-H members who attended the Day of Archaeology were able to make pottery, extract salt from salt water, sort artifacts, learn about history, participate in educational presentations, and learn about the science of archeology. 

4-H Youth Development Instructor, Hope Bragg said, “The 4-H Day of Archaeology is about youth learning what archaeology is and the importance of preserving it and discovering how it is conducted.”

While the 4-H Day of Archaeology was taking place, the Arkansas Archaeological Society was also hosting an open house lab for community members to tour the archaeology lab and see artifacts that the archaeologists are analyzing.

The college is also set to host an evening talk by University of Arkansas Station Archeologist, Dr. Carl Drexler on Friday, June 21, 2019, at 6:30 PM in the Skilled and Trades building at the De Queen Campus. 

In this evening presentation, Dr. Carl Drexler will be discussing what the archaeologists have found and what they have learned from conducting lab research from Holman springs artifacts and the active dig site.  This is a community event that is open to everyone.