MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- More than 100 archeological digs get under way in Tennessee in any given year and the public has a chance to learn about the most exciting of those projects this weekend.
The Tennessee Division of Archeology and Middle Tennessee State University are partnering to hold a state archeology showcase Friday and Saturday at the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville.
Dr. Kevin Smith, Professor of Archeology at MTSU, says one of the most exciting finds in recent years was the discovery of cave paintings here in Tennessee.
“We didn’t really know there was any cave art in Tennessee, or even the Southeast, until about 1985 when the first art was discovered. Since then, they’ve recorded over 70 sites that have art in the dark zone of the caves. This dates back – some of it – 3,000 years.”
Dr. Smith says archeologists from across Tennessee will make 20 presentations over the course of the two day event, being held in the Ed Jones Auditorium at the Ellington Ag Center.
To learn more about the 2013 Current Research in Tennessee Archaeology meeting, you can contact Mike Moore at (615) 741-1588 (ext. 109), or visit the Tennessee Archeology Network.