There’s another department here at the Museum of the Great Plains that investigates even older Oklahoma history, going back to the pre-Columbian era and prehistory. At the Museum we have our own resident archaeologist, Debra Baker. With the help of some volunteers, she is responsible for maintaining, cataloging and analyzing the archaeological collections. And from time to time she does get to put on her Indiana Jones’ hat and go dig for bones. This week I had the opportunity to sit with Debra and learn more about her work.

Debra states that Oklahoma’s history is more varied than most people think. Many different archeological finds have been discovered in Oklahoma. Mammoth bones discovered in Domebo Canyon show evidence of human activity, confirming the early Oklahomans hunted the mammoth. Archaeologists also discovered 11,000 year-old ‘Clovis points’, stone blades made by the Clovis people, at the Domebo site. This state is also rich with mammoth fossils. Other mammoth bones discovered at Cooperton were found alongside crude stone tools that were radio-carbon dated to be 17,000-21,000 years old. Currently, Debra Baker is working with Cameron University’s biological science team, headed by Dr. Mike Dunn, on the Grandfield excavation site. Though mammoth remains were discovered in 2005, excavation did not formally begin until 2009. Most of the bones have been unearthed and several can currently be seen on display here at the Museum.

Though many of the bones from the Grandfield site have been removed, some bones still remain in the ground. Debra explains that this is common practice; some fossils are just too fragile to remove from the ground. The Grandfield site is still active, but now scientists are working to conserve and protect the area for future exploration. In previous decades, the emphasis in archaeology was in digging up as many bones as possible but recently this practice has changed. Now the focus is on preserving and recording discoveries for future research. In fact, Debra states that she spends only about 10% of her time in the field, and for the other 90% she is engaged in lab work back at the museum.

Debra’s next big project won’t be out in the field; it will be right here in the museum’s existing collection. Since they were so focused on unearthing as many objects as possible, previous generations of archaeologists were rather sloppy when it came to cataloging and preserving their finds. For instance, many artifacts were simply thrown into cardboard boxes with little or no organization or labeling. Not only is this confusing, but it turns out that the cardboard boxes were acidic and are slowly damaging the bones. Now archaeologists like Debra are very careful about how they store bones and other artifacts; only acid-free materials are used and every object is thoroughly labeled and recorded. Debra showed me a mammoth tusk that had been unearthed several decades ago and was wrapped in plaster. Wrapping bones in plaster is no longer standard practice, she explains, because it can be very difficult to remove the plaster without damaging the bone. Unfortunately, this tusk will probably remain encased in plaster.

I asked Debra how she became interested in archaeology. She said that when she was a child, her family traveled all over the world, including Jordan, Israel and Egypt. Traveling to some of the oldest cities on Earth piqued her interest in history; when Debra went to college, she majored in anthropology and archaeology. Her job here at the Museum allows her to share her love of history with other people. The archaeology department at the Museum plays a vital role in conducting outreach and educating the public. There are only about 40 professional archaeologists in the state of Oklahoma and so they often rely on members of the public to find sites and artifacts. So it's important for people to know that they should not disturb any bones or other objects they might discover for preservation purposes. Exhibits and events at the museum help to educate people how they can preserve and protect our rich archeological history.

Interested in learning more about archaeology in Oklahoma? The Oklahoma Anthropological Society (OAS) provides a great opportunity for those interested in anthropology and archaeology to come together and share ideas, discoveries and to participate in preserving Oklahoma’s history; families and people of all ages have fun and connect through their shared interest in history. The OAS Greater Southwest Oklahoma chapter holds meetings on the 4^th Saturday of each month at the Museum of the Great Plains.To inquire about membership dues and forms, contact Debra Baker at:baker1994@sbcglobal.net

More information about the history of Oklahoma’s archaeological sites can be found in the 2010-2011 Great Plains Journal, vol. 46

Another unique exhibit here at the Musuem of the Great Plains is the Red River Trading Post. Located on the museum grounds, the trading post is a historically accurate replica of a fur trading post that operated near Cache creek in the 1830’s and 40s. Tim Poteete, the museum’s Lead Historical Interpreter, is in charge of running the Red River Trading Post and educating visitors about the history of the fur trade in Oklahoma. Last Friday, I spent the morning at the trading post, talking with Tim and three volunteers, Al Hobbs, Steve Strickire and Len McCue, to learn more about the fur trade and to observe how the trading post serves as a tool to teach visitors about local history.

History of the Trading Post

The Red River Trading Post is one of the few places west of the Mississippi that showcases the history of the Western fur trade. Established in 1836, the post served as a meeting place, dry goods store and as a hub for the fur trade in Indian Territory. Two men named Coffee and Coville owned the post; goods such as tea, guns and beads were shipped up river to Ft. Smith, Arkansas and then loaded onto a mule for the last stretch to the trading post. During the 1830’s and 40’s beaver was the most prized fur, with Buffalo hide coming in second. This dynamic began to change with the introduction of silk worms from China around 1834. Now hats and other fine clothing were made with silk, not beaver fur, and buffalo hide became the most important fur for the Great Plains. I asked each of the historical interpreters how they came to be interested in the fur trade in general and in the history of the Red River Trading Post in particular. Tim recalls that he has always been interested in history. He grew up in eastern Oklahoma and at 35 years old went to school to get a Master’s degree in history. A friend introduced Tim to someone working at the Museum of the Great Plains and for the next few years Tim volunteered at the trading post in his spare time. When the position of Lead Historical Interpreter opened up in 1999, Tim applied and has been working at the museum ever since. Len McCue grew up in New England and has also been interested in history most of his life. When he moved out to Oklahoma, he became more interested in Western history, particularly pre-Civil War Western history. Leo says that what he finds most interesting about the pre-Civil War era is that it was a period when settlers and Indians mostly got along and both benefited from the lucrative fur trade.

The Red River Trading Post is a valuable educational tool for teaching people about the Oklahoma fur trade. Touching real furs, witnessing a black-powder rifle demonstration and talking with the living history interpreters immerses visitors in the Old West. I was surprised to discover that even in the 105 degree heat, the cabin was relatively cool and comfortable. Len McCue explained that this is because of the cabin’s design; small gaps between the slats help air circulate and the wooden logs are good insulators.

I asked Tim; what are museum visitors most surprised to learn about Oklahoma history? He says Oklahoma history is much more diverse than most people realize. We have one of the most unique settlement patterns in the United States; only Oklahoma and Iowa had land runs, and Iowa’s was much smaller. Some of Oklahoma’s land was also dispersed through a lottery; the land comprising Lawton was auctioned off one lot at a time. Tim also shares that relations between settlers and Indians was more complicated than most people realize. Both parties benefited from the Oklahoma fur trade and lived mostly peacefully until about the 1840’s, but the relationship never recovered from the Great Buffalo Slaughter of the 19^th century.

Footprints Through Time Summer Program

Hello everyone! My name is Nena Cavel and I am going to be a guest blogger here the museum's education blog. I am volunteering at the Museum of the Great Plains for the summer and will be blogging about events, summer programs and various other goings-on. Hope you enjoy!



Museums are a great resource for promoting education and community development. Here at the Museum of the Great Plains, one of the ways we encourage learning and help build a sense of community is through our summer program "Footprints Through Time". Designed for children ages 6-11, this course brings together kids from around Lawton to learn about nature through art. The "Footprints" classroom is located in the museum's exhibit hall, providing a unique kid-friendly learning environment. In addition to their arts and crafts projects, kids have the opportunity to learn about southwestern Oklahoma's history through touring the museum's exhibits and exploring the museum grounds.

This past week in “Footprints Through Time”, the kids learned all about Australia. The “Footprints” instructor Faye Barnes taught the children about the unique animals in Australia, such as the kangaroo, koala bear and the duck-billed platypus. The “Footprints” curriculum
emphasizes learning by doing and the kids had plenty of opportunities to be creative and get their hands dirty. Projects included molding animals, bowls and beads out of salt dough and creating a 3-D map of Australia using cardboard, clay and paint. Each child gets to take
their creations home with them at the end of the week, once they’ve finished drying.




After a short break for a healthy snack, the kids have an opportunity to run around and work off some energy. This Friday the kids got to play with “Speed”, a new interactive exhibit here at the museum where visitors can learn about energy and motion. Guests can build and race
their own model cars, design a roller-coaster, make a movie or challenge each other on the Horsepower Bike.







To register your child for “Footprints through Time” or to learn about other summer programs and upcoming events at the Museum of the Great Plains, visit our website at museumgreatplains.org



Nena

Nina Simom's Museum 2.0

If you're a friend of mine on Facebook then you already know how much I love Nina Simon's work. Her philosophy is new, active and connects museums to a larger audience than the ole stuffy museum mindset of the past.
Below is a letter Nina wrote in repsonse to "recent articles about museums by Arianna Huffington (on museums and new media) and Ed Rothstein (on museums and ethnic identity)."


"I have a very hard time imagining that anyone, even an incredibly knowledgeable media-maker such as Huffington, can fairly arbitrate what is and isn't the "right" kind of connection. If you gasp when you see an artifact, I snap a photo, and another visitor texts her friend about the experience, is one of us doing it wrong?" Nina Simon

Open Letter to Arianna Huffington, Edward Rothstein, and Many Other Museum Critics

Museum of the Great Plains is on YouTube! Thanks to Cameron University Student, Chad Hearrell

Participation Starts with Staff: The Ruru Revolution

Participation Starts with Staff: The Ruru Revolution

This link was posted on Facebook by Nina Simon, author of The Participatory Museum.

And even though the Ruru Revolution engages a staff of 70 or more, I bet we could also have some fun with the idea here, with our very big staff of 12! :)

Tepee Construction and Design Project

Tinkering Workshop
Members of the the Oklahoma Museum Network (which thankfully, includes me) got together this week for a one day training to prepare for the tinkering exhibits which will soon be touring the state. We explored some deep and playful activities and discussed how to think about setting up a tinkering studio in a museum.

Above is a picture of Barbara Asepermy who is now helping me . Barbara and I are both amazed at the ingenuity behind tipi construction and design. Now that we are trying to figure out what sorts of materials are needed for a tipi tinkering area, we realize how much we had overlooked. For instance, do you know how many poles are needed to make a tipi or how they were placed? Where did the Indians even find such nice long, straight poles? And how many buffalo hides were needed to cover the tipi? Our questions go on and on.
http://goo.gl/photos/iJQdYKoJHd Here is a link to some photos, to see how our plans are going.

Luckily, Al Hobbs, a volunteer at our Red River Trading Post, is also providing his insight and understanding as it pertains to tipi construction, calculating the area of a circle, the relationship between the length of the poles and the diameter of the tipi, proverbs that promote the importance of a good question, tipi customs and etiquette, and the likelihood of a trial and error method of construction and design, by the first people when it comes to this very brilliant mobile home design.