CVAS to host annual Archaeology Fair at Fort Concho

SAN ANGELO, Texas ( Concho Valley Homepage ) — The Concho Valley Archaeology Society is once again partnering with the Fort Concho National Historic Landmark for its annual Archaeology Fair on Sept. 21. Here’s what you need to know.

The event, also called “Yesteryear’s Revisited,” is free and will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fort Concho’s Barracks 6 building. Parking will be available on Henry O. Flipper Street, which can be accessed from South Oakes Street.

“It’s rain or shine,” Callan Clark, president of the Concho Valley Archaeology Society, said. “A lot of our activities and exhibits are indoors, so even if it’s raining, still come out and have a fun time.”

The fair will include several hands-on activities for kids, such as mock archaeological excavation, face painting and learning about West Texas geology. Attendees will also be able to try using an atlatl, a prehistoric tool used to throw spears and darts, to hit a cardboard buffalo and use a bow and arrow like Plains Native American hunters.

Clark said that artifacts discovered in the Concho Valley will be on display during the event. These include arrow points and other items related to the early military and pioneers.

The event is held to teach children to respect and preserve the archaeological record, according to Clark.

“The archaeological record is very fragile and not renewable, so once an artifact is taken from a site, that history is gone forever, we can never get it back,” Clark said. “We want to teach them preservation, preserving and protecting archaeological sites.”

In previous years, the fair was held during October to coincide with Texas Archaeology Month.

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