By: Discover Dodge Tourism – Juneau, WI
Rock River Archaeological Society Weekend Offers Unique Activities For Children
The Rock River Archeological Society is gearing up to offer some very unique activities for children and families at their October Weekend on October 8 and 9th. The event will be held at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center, N7725 Highway 28, in Horicon. The hours for the event will be Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is no admission cost.
Activities will include:
- Atlatl Throwing -The Atlatl a Stone Age artifact that was used as a hunting weapon. This hunting weapon requires skill rather than muscle power alone. It uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart-throwing and includes a bearing surface which allows the user to story energy during the throw. Atlatl experts will be on hand to coach and teach the use of this ancient tool.
- Fire Starting is an age old activity. Children today think a fire is started with a match, but the technique of starting a fire dates back to the earliest man. There were no matches, but fires were used to cook food and provide warmth. How did they do it? Come and find out.
- Corn Grinding will be demonstrated for everyone and everyone will be offered the chance to try their hand at this activity. As soon as Native Americans became acquainted with corn it became one of the main staples in their diet. Come and see how they ground the corn to save it for another days use.
- Bead Collecting is fun for all children attending the event. Beads are one type of artifact found throughout Wisconsin. Some are made of glass. Some are made of clay and others are made of shell or other materials. The children will be given a little bag that has a few starter beads in it and directions telling them what to do. Children are encouraged to collect as many beads as they can. After they have collected their beads (which they can take home and use to make a bracelet) they return to the starting place and collect a reward. It is like a treasure hunt and very easy for children to see the big signs that say “Bead Stop” where they can collect a bead.
Horicon Marsh Explorium will be open both days and can be found by descending the large stairway in the dynamic lobby. A very small cost of $4.00 for a student or $15.00 for the whole family will allow admission. The incredible story of the Horicon Marsh is told in this interactive Explorium where sight, touch, sound and smell are used to tell the story.
Many interesting sites will abound at this Archaeological Weekend where the whole family will be involved. It is guaranteed that children in attendance will be talking about their experiences at this event for years.
The Archeology Weekend event is also part of the Discover Dodge Tourism “Fall Farm & Foliage Tour” on October 8. Find more information about the tour at www.discoverdodgecounty.com. Come and spend the weekend in Dodge County!
