Learning about Louisiana Native Americans with the MNS

1
Learning about Louisiana Native Americans with
the MNS Sophie Warny, Ph.D. Museum of Natural
Science BASC
2
We will talk about

• 1. The MNS Archaeology Collections
• 2. Field trip to the MNS or in your own school!
• - Learn about our new exhibit on Native Americans
• 3. New childrens activity book on Native
  Americans
• English and French
• 4. History and Archaeology of Louisiana N. A.
  with an expert
• 5. Hands on activities to do in your schools
• Learn about the different types of Indian
  potteries
• Learn how to make N.A. pottery using the coiling
  method
• Learn about artifacts

3
1. The MNS collections

• 7 main fields of RESEARCH
• Ornithology (Birds)
• Genetics
• Ichthyology (Fishes)
• Mammalogy
• Herpetology (Reptiles and Amphibians)
• Vertebrate Paleontology
• Anthropology (Archaeology and Ethnography)
• EDUCATION

4
Anthropology Dr. Becky Saunders

• Collections
• More than 1.25 million specimens from 2,000 sites
  in Louisiana and worldwide.
• For instance
• The McIlhenny and Jastremski Chitimacha Indian
  Basketry collections (two of the most important
  of their kind in the nation)
• Research statement
• Human adaptations through time and the evolution
  of cultural complexity.

5
Louisiana Explorations King George Island
Mounds, Livingston Parish, constructed ca. 4500
years ago
Satellite imagery shows location of mounds and
embankment
6
Graduate student Fiona Vasbinder and other LSU
students embark for the King George Island mounds.
Graduate student Harry Brignac delicately moves
towards the southern mounds, across a low area
from the main ridge.
Graduate students Kevin Pemberton and Steven
Fullen begin shovel testing.
Stone tools from King George Island. Drills like
these were often used to make beads.
7
Bayou Grande Chenier site, Plaquemines Parish,
occupied ca. A.D. 1000-1200

Graduate student Tim Schilling, who wrote his
Masters thesis on the site, Capn Saunders,
and other LSU students on their way to Bayou
Grande Chenier.
False-color imagery shows the 12-mound Bayou
Grande Chenier site as high ground amidst the
fragmenting freshwater marsh of southern Louisiana
8
Bayou Grande Chenier
Oblique aerial photo showing the 11-mound main
group and Mound 12.
Profile of Unit 2 showing artificial construction
of embankment tying the mounds together into a
ring
Pottery vessels placed on ground prior to
construction of the embankment.
9
2. FIELD TRIP CONTENT
Louisiana Native Americans A new exhibit!
10
(No Transcript)
11
If you cannot come to LSU, you can bring the
exhibit to your school!
225-578-3958 Holly Tunkel
12
Timeline.
13
(No Transcript)
14
Introduction to Louisiana Native Americans, their
mounds, and artifacts
15
http//www.crt.state.la.us/ archaeology/homepage/
16
Younger Louisiana Native Americans mounds.
Mounds and Match interactive.
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
Bone, stone, and shell technology
What is this artifact used for? interactive.
21
(No Transcript)
22
Housing technology.
23
(No Transcript)
24
Cooking technology.
25
(No Transcript)
26
3. FIELD TRIP PRACTICAL DETAILS
27
Practical Details
General Info Tours
Monday-Friday 800 am - 400 pm
FREE!
Scheduling Materials Rules Parking
28
4. MNS ACTIVITY BOOKLET
The book is online in English. It will also
be available in French (online next semester)
29

• NOTE
• LA GLEs are listed on page 2
• Learn about LA mounds
• Learn mapping skills

30
Learn about the LSU Indian mounds Learn how to
build a 3-D model
31
Learn about Indian words and places Use the
vocabulary to write an essay
32
Learn about pottery and other artifacts
33
5. LA State Southeast Regional Archaeologist Rob
Mann
6. Presentation of hands on activities Adrienne
Lopez and Rebecca Tedford