TEXAS

Texas Archeology Month is held each October. For more information, visit: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/archeology/aatam.html.

The Texas Archaeology Society Field School is a summer program for kids from elementary to junior high. Learn the ins and outs of archaeology, as well as how people thousands of years ago lived. For more information, visit: www.txarch.org/kids/fschool.html.

Hueco Tanks State Park
The “tanks” at this park, located to the northeast of El Paso, are large, naturally formed rock basins that collect rain water. Throughout the area’s history, Native Americans dwelling here took advantage of this feature and left hundreds of pictographs on the walls of the tanks. Now, the park hosts a wide variety of activities ranging from rock climbing to guided tours focusing on the rich cultural and natural history of the park. Advance reservations are required for tours, so check their website for availability information at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/hueco_tanks/.

The Rock Art Foundation works with private landowners to protect ancient rock art found all over the state. For more information, and tour details, visit: http://www.rockart.org/index.html.

The Texas Historical Commission excavated two of Texas’ most important archaeological sites relating to the famous French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. There are seven museums in Texas that are home to a series of exhibits that together tell the story of La Salle’s expedition and the Texas Historical Commission’s excavations. For more information, visit: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/archeology/aadefault.html.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science features 12,000 square feet of gallery space highlighting the native peoples of the Americas, from Alaska to Peru, and exploring thousands of years of human history. In Life through Time, more than 450 specimens are displayed. Searching for Eternity: Life and Death in Ancient Egypt, includes about 100 artifacts. The highlight of the presentation is Ankhhap, a mummy from the museum's own collection. Explorations for youth ages 4-12 are held on Saturdays and summer weekdays. Excursions and family field trips are planned throughout the year and include a visit to a prehistoric mammoth site in central Texas. Call (713) 639-4629, or visit: www.hmns.org.

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