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January - May 2008 Logan Museum of Anthropology * * * * * This event is free and open to the public. |
The son of Norwegian immigrants, Halvor Skavlem lived in southern Wisconsin for much of his 93 years. A self-taught archaeologist and naturalist, he was interested in the indigenous societies that populated the region before its settlement by Europeans. His work during the early 20th century provides a foundation for the efforts of contemporary archaeologists and historians. Skavlem’s accomplishments will be highlighted in a new museum opening at Beloit College’s Logan Museum of Anthropology. Making an Impact: Halvor Skavlem’s Experimental Archaeology opens on Tuesday, Jan. 22, in the museum’s first floor gallery.
Working from his Lake Koshkonong-area farm─the site of an ancient Ho-Chunk Indian village─Skavlem studied the land and its history, digging up artifacts of early indigenous cultures. He was an expert on regional Indian societies and often traveled throughout Wisconsin conducting archaeological surveys. Over time and with a great deal of practice, Skavlem replicated the flint-knapping technique that ancient people had used to produce stone tools and weaponry. Using bone and stone hammers, he chipped away at pieces of flint, making arrowheads and other useful objects. His skill was such that anthropologist Alonzo Pond documented it in a 1930 book titled Primitive Methods of Working Stone Based on the Experiments of H. L. Skavlem. It was recently reprinted in conjunction with the Logan Museum.
The exhibit Making an Impact: Halvor Skavlem’s Experimental Archaeology offers insights into Skavlem’s work as a flint-knapper. It was designed by Beloit College museum studies students. Artifacts in the exhibit include implements Skavlem made, tools he used to make those objects and his early finds from Lake Koshkonong. It will remain on display through the end of May.
The Logan Museum of Anthropology is a world-class teaching museum located on the Beloit College campus. It houses an extensive collection of ethnographic and archaeological artifacts, including Native American basketry, ancient textiles, and Pre-Columbian ceramics. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, contact Bill Green, director of the museum, at 608-363-2119 or log on to www.beloit.edu.