The Kalona Historical Village is partnering with Iowa archaeologists to give people a look into Iowa’s archaeological past. Mark Anderson from the Office of the State Archaeologist at the University of Iowa will be coming to Kalona Thursday to give people an overview of the prehistory of eastern Iowa. Kalona Historical Village Director Nancy Roth says the idea for the program came after Anderson viewed the arrowhead collection on display at the village. He helped them with a grant request to improve the display, and Roth thought the prehistory event would be a good way to unveil the new display, while also allowing people to learn about their own archaeological finds.

The event will kick off with a meet and greet at 6 p.m. At 6:30, Anderson will conduct the prehistory program, and it will be followed by a roadshow at 7:30. During the roadshow, several artifacts will be available for viewing, and people can learn how they were made, who made them, and what they were used for. Attendees are invited to bring their own artifacts they’ve found to be identified and interpreted, though they will not be assigned any monetary value. There is no cost for the event, and it is suitable for all ages. The Office of the State Archaeologist believes doing events such as this are important as a way to preserve knowledge of Iowa’s human past through research, scientific discovery, and education.