Using STEM to Educate the Public about Cultural Diversity in the San Antonio Missions

Summary

This is an abstract from the "NPS Archeology: Engaging the Public through Education and Recreation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Twice a year Western National Parks Association has a Mexican Art Exhibit featuring pottery from Mata Ortiz at the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center. The pottery from Mata Ortiz follows the centuries-old ceramic tradition of Casas Grandes culture of the Chihuahuan desert. Park interpretive staff wanted to develop a program to link the park’s material culture history to the art exhibit in a more tangible way. Using new research on utilitarian pottery from the missions and its ties to prehistoric pottery styles and group ethnicity that has been conducted by Dr. Steve Tomka, a new program was developed. During the three day event, visitors had the opportunity to experience through hands on learning and experimental archeology the similarities and differences between prehistoric and colonial indigenous pottery making techniques, and the traditional pottery techniques of Mata Ortiz. This paper will discuss the development of this program and also the importance of ensuring that new park initiatives designed to appeal to different groups are linked to the park’s enabling legislation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• NPS Archeology: Engaging the Public through Education and Recreation

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24434