March 28, 2024

Wooly mammoth bones on display at Keokuk County Expo on Saturday

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The Third Annual Skunk River Artifact Show, sponsored by the Hawkeye State Archaeological Society,  will be on Saturday at the Keokuk County Expo grounds in Sigourney.

The show will feature many fine artifacts — including bones, arrowheads, axes, spear points and celts — and attracts exhibitors from all over the Midwest. Many of the items exhibited are thousands of years old and provide insight as to how ancient people lived.

A major attraction again this year will be bones recovered from a wooly mammoth find near Keokuk County. The University of Iowa Museum Of Natural History is now conducting a dig of the mammoth bones and recovery will continue for another year or two. The show will be a unique opportunity to see firsthand the huge size of the prehistoric creature’s remains. The first bone found by the farmer was a femur bone, approximately 4 feet long and weighing 70 lbs. Last summer, more than 100 additional bones were recovered. The show provides a unique opportunity to see these specimens and ask questions about them and the processes used to uncover and preserve these special finds.

Local residents are encouraged to bring and display their artifacts. Tables can be reserved by contacting Tom Monroe of Sigourney at (641) 622-2426. There is no charge to have a display table, and admission to the show is also free. There will be a jar for freewill offering, and a lunch will be available on the grounds.

The public also is invited to bring their own artifacts to be identified and appraised by the experts at this show. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., and the show is generally over around 3 p.m.