Come play in a medium that's as old as dirt during "Play in the Clay Fun Day" Saturday, Aug. 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See how the Pee Dee Culture utilized the clay around them, try your hand at making a small piece of pottery, and help us daub the East Lodge walls.
"What a fun excuse to get your hands a little dirty," says Site Manager Rich Thompson, "while learning about a native culture."
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the site at 910-439-6802 or at towncreek@ncdcr.gov.
For more than 1,000 years, American Indians farmed lands later known as North Carolina. Around A.D. 1000, a new cultural tradition arrived in the Pee Dee River Valley. Throughout Georgia, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and western and southern Piedmont North Carolina, inhabitants built earthen mounds for their leaders, engaged in widespread trade, supported craftspeople and celebrated a new religion.
The mission of Town Creek is to interpret the history of the American Indians who once lived here. The visitor center features interpretive exhibits and audiovisual displays. A national historic landmark, Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site is North Carolina's only state historic site dedicated to American Indian heritage. Tour groups are welcome and encouraged. The site is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. and is closed to the public Mondays and most major holidays.
The historic site is within the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. It is located at 509 Town Creek Mound Road, Mount Gilead. For more information on Town Creek, please visit www.towncreekindianmound.com.