Archeology Fair offers a glimpse into region’s history

Flint knapping, shell working and practice excavations are among the many activities planned this Saturday during the first 2007 Rio Grande Delta Archeology Fair at the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site in Brownsville.

The free event is sponsored by the Historic Brownsville Museum, the Rio Grande Delta Archeology Society and the Palo Alto Battlefield, and is designed to promote awareness of the different types of cultures that previously existed in the region.

“This archeology fair is the first ever being done in this area,” said Jennie Galvan, regional director of the Texas Archeological Society. “There’s going to be archeologists from Corpus Christi, Cuidad Victoria, from Matamoros and local archeologists involved.”

During the five-hour event, visitors will have a chance to view living historian presentations and participate in hands-on activities ranging from pottery making to Native American Indian arts and crafts.

In addition, the Commemorative Air Force Museum will present a special “fly-over” demonstration to showcase vintage planes that were once flown in the area.

Galvan said that museums from Brownsville, Port Isabel, and Matamoros will participate and all have something to offer for guests of all ages.

“It’s going to be kind of all these different museums that are coming together and each one is going to portray something different about this specific region,” Galvan said. “We’re going to be going back thousands of years.”

Rolando Garza, resource manager at the Palo Alto Battlefield, said that the Rio Grande Valley was once inhabited by a various types of Native American tribes as well as Spanish, Mexican and American settlers. He said that archeological record still present in the delta tells their story, which is also represented through battlefield sites and early 20th-century farm and ranching activities in the area.

Garza said that an estimated 500 to 1000 people are expected to attend the event and those wishing to participate in hands-on activities should wear appropriate field clothing. He said that by learning about the different types of archeological finds, participants can become more familiar with the region’s history, as well as the history of their ancestors.

“There’s not a lot known about the prehistoric cultures that are down here and every time development spreads that little picture into the past is destroyed,” Garza said. “These sites are our shared heritage and we need to preserve and protect them.”

If you go:

What: First annual 2007 Rio Grande Valley Archeology Fair

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday

Where: Palo Alto Battlefield Site, 7200 Paredes Line Rd. (FM 1847)

Cost: Free

For more information: Contact the Palo Alto Battlefield (NHS) at (956) 541-2785 or Rio Grande Delta Archeology Society at (956) 266-8225