TJC is currently displaying a collection of Native American ceramic vases and bowls from its archives, in conjunction with the annual East Texas/Caddo Archaeology conference to be held this weekend.
The objects are on exhibit through the remainder of the academic year, in the main hallway of the first floor of Jenkins Hall on the TJC main campus.
“These artifacts were donated from a private collector to TJC in 2012 and analyzed in 2014 by Dr. Tim Perttula, who is a member of the Friends of Northeast Texas Archaeology Project,” said Dr. Keith Eppich, TJC professor of history and archaeology.
Eppich said the vessels were likely used in funeral ceremonies, and the material dates from the years 1400 to 1600.
“This is quite a unique collection and, as far as I know, it’s the first time it has ever been publicly displayed,” he said.
The 62nd Caddo Conference and 27th East Texas Archeological Conference will be held on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28 and 29, on the UT Tyler campus.
The Caddo Conference rotates annually among Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana to promote and to stimulate interest in the archeology, history and ethnology of the Caddo archeological region. The East Texas Archeological Conference is hosted annually by UT Tyler to bring together people interested in the archeology and cultural heritage of East Texas.
This year’s conference will be in support of the Caddo Nation and rebuilding of facilities at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Alto, which sustained heavy damage from tornadoes in April 2019.
For more information on the conference, go to: https://sites.google.com/view/easttexasarchaeologyconference/home.