Community Archaeology Day set for Friday at UOG

The Guam Preservation Trust is inviting the community to Guam Community Archaeology Day on Friday at the University of Guam Lecture Hall for a day of exhibits and hands-on activities.

The event is free to the public and was developed for families, students and those "curious about Guam's past."

“The Guam Preservation Trust is pleased to provide opportunity for our entire community to learn more on the archaeology in Guam. During the month of October many organizations across the country observe Archaeology Month to promote public awareness, education, and preservation of archaeological and cultural heritage and we encourage our island community to join us in celebrating this important piece of our history at the Guam Community Archaeology Day event,” Interim Chief Program Officer for the Guam Preservation Trust Andrew Tenorio said.

The event offers two sessions for the community to learn more about Guam's past and encourages conversations between professionals and the public centered on archaeology in Guam.

"The first session opens with exhibits and hands-on activity stations to include: the 'Day in a Latte Village' scenery booth facilitated by the Guam Museum and Guam Cultural Repository, the 'Ask an Archaeologist' booth, and pottery reconstruction with CEMML, an artifact matching game with the National Park Service, and demonstrations on latte site surveying by IARII and GIS in Archaeology by Dr. Edgar Aban," the release said.

The first session runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by panel discussions and presentations from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the second session.

The second session will feature the "Caretakers of Our Past" panel with Roman Dela Cruz, Juanita Blas and Raphael Unpingco; a talk on ethnoarchaeology in Guam by Dr. Kelly Marsh-Taitano; an update on the recent Guam Archaeology Field School by current University of Guam graduate students Chloe Calvo and Jenna Golnik, accompanied by Dr. John Peterson; and a presentation by Dr. Hedy Justus on archaeological sites and historic places on Guam's military lands.

The second session will also be livestreamed on the Guam Preservation Trust's Facebook page, according to the release.

The event is supported by the International Archaeological Research Institute Inc., the community-led heritage management project grants program and several institutions and community partners, according to organizers.