MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The public will have an opportunity to learn about recent archaeological work at one of Arkansas’ most significant prehistoric sites during a free lecture later this month at the University of Memphis.
Dr. Paige Ford, an archaeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey stationed at Plum Bayou Mounds Archaeological State Park in Arkansas, will present a lecture titled “Community Connections: Recent Excavations at Plum Bayou Mounds.”
The presentation will take place Friday, March 20, 2026, at 1 p.m. in Room 110 of Johnson Hall on the campus of the University of Memphis. The lecture is part of the university’s Earth Science Colloquium series and is free and open to the public.
Ford’s talk will highlight recent archaeological excavations conducted at Plum Bayou Mounds, one of the most important prehistoric mound sites in Arkansas. The site, located in central Arkansas, contains a complex of earthen platform mounds constructed by the Plum Bayou culture more than 1,000 years ago and provides insight into the ceremonial and community life of the region’s Native American inhabitants.
Researchers working at the site continue to uncover new information about how the mound complex was built, how it was used by its original inhabitants, and how the surrounding landscape supported a thriving community during the Late Woodland period.
The lecture will also focus on the ways archaeologists are connecting modern communities with the region’s deep history through research, public outreach, and educational programs centered on the Plum Bayou Mounds site.
The event is sponsored by the University of Memphis Department of Earth Sciences and is open to anyone interested in archaeology, regional history, and the ongoing research taking place at one of Arkansas’ most important archaeological landmarks.
