The public will have an opportunity to learn about recent archaeological discoveries at one of Arkansas’ most significant prehistoric sites during a free lecture later this month at the University of Memphis.
Dr. Paige Ford, an archaeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey stationed at Plum Bayou Mounds Archaeological State Park in Scott, will present a lecture titled “Community Connections: Recent Excavations at Plum Bayou Mounds.”
The presentation is scheduled for Friday, March 20, at 1 p.m. in Room 110 of Johnson Hall on the University of Memphis campus. The event is part of the university’s Earth Science Colloquium series and is free and open to the public.
Ford’s lecture will focus on recent excavations at Plum Bayou Mounds, a major prehistoric site in central Arkansas. The site features a complex of earthen platform mounds built more than 1,000 years ago by the Plum Bayou culture and offers insight into the ceremonial practices and daily life of Native American communities during the Late Woodland period.
Ongoing research at the site continues to reveal how the mound complex was constructed, how it was used by its original inhabitants, and how the surrounding landscape supported a thriving community.
In addition to discussing new findings, Ford will highlight efforts to connect modern communities with the region’s deep history through archaeological research, public outreach and educational programs centered on the site.
The event is sponsored by the University of Memphis Department of Earth Sciences and is open to anyone interested in archaeology, regional history and ongoing research in Arkansas.
