Speaker to Explore Ancient Textiles and Basketry of Ozarks and Spiro Mounds

Photo by Elizabeth T. Horton

- Rivercane basket fragment from the Ozark Plateau, courtesy of the University of Arkansas Museum

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Elizabeth Horton of the Arkansas Archeological Survey will discuss “Woven Worlds: The Archeology of Textiles and Basketry in the Pre-Columbian Southeast" at 7 p.m. Friday, March 15, in the Arkansas Archeological Survey building at 2475 N. Hatch Ave. 

The event is part of the University of Arkansas Museum’s Monthly Speaker Series, which aims to connect the museum’s collections with related research by the U of A community.

When it comes to well-preserved ancient textiles and basketry, there are, in fact, substantial amounts of archeological fabrics found in the humid southeastern United States – including Arkansas. 

Horton will focus on some of the largest collections of well-preserved textiles and basketry from our region, including the Ozark Bluff shelters of Arkansas and Missouri and the Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma. She will explore what is known about the fabric traditions of the Southeastern United States, from what people wore to what plants they used to produce clothing; from social roles of textiles and basketry in the Mississippian period cultures to fabric traditions that persist in the artistry of contemporary Southeastern Native weavers.

The U of A Museum houses the largest and most significant collection of Arkansas archeological material anywhere. Those attending the lecture will have a chance to see a selection of relevant collection materials on display for that evening only.