The UA Little Rock Garden Site Archaeology Project will open its doors to the public on March 14 for a special open house event in celebration of Arkansas Archeology Month.
The open house will take place from 1-3 p.m. Friday, March 14, in Stabler Hall 107. Attendees will have the chance to view historical artifacts discovered on campus from the site with expert interpretations, participate in a mock excavation, and join a guided tour of the excavation site (weather permitting).
The open house is an opportunity for students, faculty, and community members to engage with the university's ongoing archaeology project, which aims to uncover the rich history of the land where the campus now stands.
"Our campus has a much deeper history than people know," said Dr. Maureece Levin, assistant professor of anthropology at UA Little Rock. "This open house is a chance for people to see what we've recovered, try their hand at archaeological recovery, and learn about the past through hands-on experience."
The UA Little Rock Garden Site Archaeology Project began in Fall 2023, when students in the Archaeological Investigation class uncovered the foundation of the mid-20th-century Safeway Ice Cream Plant and recovered more than 400 historical artifacts.
The project, supported by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as UA Little Rock's College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education (CHASSE), provides both students and community members with hands-on archaeological fieldwork experience.
"This event is a great way to support our interns and students as they share what they've learned," Levin said. "We want to invite the community to see how archaeology helps us understand the history of our own campus."
No prior experience is necessary to participate, and all are welcome to attend. For more information about the project or to get involved, contact Levin at [email protected] or fill out this form if you would like to volunteer.