The public is invited to Van Meter State Park near Miami, to attend a lecture by Tom Hartline on bannerstones and atlatl weights. The event was previously scheduled for March 2, but is being held on an alternative date due to the potential for inclement weather. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the lecture will be presented at the Missouri's American Indian Cultural Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 23.
Tom Hartline, President of the Sedalia-West Central Chapter of the Missouri Archaeological Society, will discuss the bannerstone, a tool that has intrigued collectors and archeologists for many years. He will discuss his theories of how the bannerstone was used with the atlatl, a hunting tool that was used for thousands of years before the bow and arrow. Mr. Hartline will be available after the lecture to identify artifacts for those attending.
Entrance to the cultural center is free and open to the public. Missouri's American Indian Cultural Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays from October through March.
Van Meter State Park is located 12 miles northwest of Marshall on Highway 122. For more information about the event, contact the park at 660-886-7537. For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.