AUSTIN, Texas —
The Texas Historical Commission will host the 2023 Archeology Fair at the French Legation State Historic Site in Austin Sunday, October 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free to the public.
State and local partners will provide hands-on activities and demonstrations, take-home activity kits, museum tours and special exhibits, lectures and presentations, history walks, and more family-friendly activities.
One of the most popular activities at the annual Archeology Fair is the atlatl throw, where visitors eagerly wait in line for their turn to try a prehistoric device that propels a hunting spear much farther than the human arm alone. Another popular activity is the hands-on pinch-pot kits, which allow participants of all ages to experience one of the oldest pottery techniques in the world.
These and many other activities such as flintknapping demonstrations will be presented by partner agencies and organizations, including Bastrop Independent School District, the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University, Generation Serve, Horizon Environmental Services, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Archeological Society, Texas Beyond History, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas Science and Natural History Museum.
To RSVP for the Texas Archeology Fair, go to texasarcheologyfair.eventbrite.com.
The 2023 Archeology Fair is a featured event during Texas Archeology Month, a commemoration that takes place each October to celebrate history and heritage through the lens of archeology.
Throughout the month, the THC and partners across the state provide hands-on activities and host commemorative events such as archeology fairs, demonstrations, presentations, museum exhibits, and walking tours.
Archeological societies, county historical commissions, museums and other groups will host a multitude of events this October—with support from a legion of volunteers, many of them members of the THC’s archeological stewardship program. The THC relies on its partners in the Texas Archeological Society and Council of Texas Archeologists as Texas Archeology Month co-sponsors.
To order free pinch-pot kits and archeology-related materials, learn how to get involved, and find an event near you, visit the Texas Archeology Month webpage.
