Marquette Regional History Center celebrating Archaeology Day Saturday

MARQUETTE — The Marquette Regional History Center is encouraging people over the weekend to use artifacts to learn about the past.

Saturday is International Archaeology Day. The event is intended to boost interest in history. The History Center is taking part with an archaeology fair for young people and adults alike.

“You get to travel through the whole building and see all kinds of booths and displays,” Marquette Regional History Center educator Betsy Rutz said. “We have experts, archaeologists from around the region, coming, and all kinds of activities, hands-on.”

Over the years, area residents have found items left behind by Native Americans, like stone arrowheads, and items from French fur traders, like Jesuit brass rings. Other artifacts are more recent.

“Bottles and all kinds of farm equipment, that kind of thing that really tells the story of who has lived here,” Rutz said. “Archaeology is the study of human evidence, human history.”

The archaeology fair will take place from noon until 3 tomorrow at the center on Spring Street in Marquette. The event is free for anyone who pays general admission prices.