On Thursday, October 22nd at 5:30 p.m., the ULM Museum of Natural History celebrates Archaeology Month in Louisiana with guest speaker Diana M. Greenlee. The talk is entitled “The ‘Great Mississippi Flood’ of 1927: Archaeological Investigation of Camps for Displaced People,” and will be held in the museum STEAM room on the first floor of Hanna Hall, 708 University Ave., on the ULM campus.
Spring 2027 marks 100 years since the “Great Mississippi Flood” inundated parts of several states, including Louisiana. The floodwaters covered some 16.5 million acres, and at least 640,000 people had to leave their homes. Although there are records of the Red Cross relief efforts undertaken at the time, archaeologists recognize that historical documents do not always tell the full story, and the study of artifacts can provide missing details about everyday life. With the help of citizen scientists, this project hopes to tell the stories of people in NELA who were impacted by the flood through both oral histories and archaeological research at relief camps.
Diana M. Greenlee serves as ULM’s Poverty Point Station Archaeologist at the Poverty Point World Heritage Site in West Carroll Parish. Greenlee is dedicated to preserving the 3,400-year-old earthworks site and encouraging public knowledge surrounding Poverty Point’s historical significance.
Through her work at Poverty Point, Greenlee’s work includes fielding questions from ULM students and members of the public who contact her through the ULM School of Sciences. She has also occasionally offered archaeological field schools during summer and winter sessions, which provide an opportunity for ULM students to experience archaeological fieldwork. In 2022, Greenlee completed a new archaeology exhibit in the ULM Museum of Natural History. She was also named to the Explorer’s Club 50 Class of 2024.
This event is free, and the public is invited to attend.
The mission of the ULM Museum of Natural History is to promote and advance an understanding of sciences within the ULM community, the public, and K-12 students in the surrounding community.
For more information about the ULM Museum of Natural History, visit www.ulm.edu/caes/museum.html.
