Contact: Sammy McDavid
An illustrated presentation on current archaeological research into 18th and 19th century Chickasaw Indian habitations in Northeast Mississippi will take place Tuesday [Oct. 10] at Mississippi State.
The public program featuring university archaeologist John W. O'Hear begins at 7 p.m. in 150 Hilbun Hall on East Lee Boulevard. Immediately following his lecture, a reception will take place across the street at the Cobb Institute of Archaeology, where a temporary display of Native American and European artifacts from this two-century period may be viewed.
O'Hear and University of Mississippi archaeologist Jay Johnson recently received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to study large Chickasaw sites in the Tupelo area that were excavated by the National Park Service between 1937 and 1941.
"This will be the first detailed study of these materials," O'Hear said. "The focus will be on how Chickasaw Indians of Mississippi adapted both to contact and conflict with the British, French, Spanish, and American colonists."
O'Hear said the study is being conducted in cooperation with the Tribal Government of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma. "It is one of the first instances of a joint endeavor between Indian and archaeological researchers," he added.
O'Hear heads the Cobb Institute's archaeological collections curation effort-the largest of its kind in the state and one of the largest in the Southeast. Involved in Mississippi archaeology for the past 24 years, he has had a leading role in some of the major excavations taking place in recent years.
For more information on the program, telephone (662) 325-3826.