‘We’re all Kentuckians’: Kentucky Museum to open ‘First Farmers’ exhibit

Georgia Mallett

Kentucky Museum at Western Kentucky University

Madison Carter, News reporter
August 31, 2022

The Kentucky Museum’s newest exhibit will display findings from recent excavations along the Barren River, including Native American artifacts and findings that represent life circa 1200-1300 CE. 

The new exhibit “First Farmers of the Barren River Valley” will be open from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8.

The exhibit will display the results of recent excavations done by the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, including “diverse aspects of pre-contact Native American farm life in the Barren River valley,” according to the WKU website. 

The Kentucky Museum is creating an exhibit titled “First Farmers of the Barren River Valley”display findings from recent excavations along the Barren River, including Native American artifacts. The exhibit will open on Sept. 8. (Madison Carter)

The exhibit opening will include a 30-minute talk with archaeologists, a Q&A with the site archaeological team and a self-guided tour, according to the WKU website. 

The exhibit found its way to the Kentucky Museum through the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, which had received a grant from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to excavate a site on the Barren River, Tiffany Isselhardt, Exhibit Curator and Development Coordinator, said. 

Looking for a public education component, the Kentucky Archaeological Survey (KAS) approached the museum about doing an exhibit over the excavation, Isselhardt explained. The museum has been working with KAS to develop the exhibit for two and a half years. 

The archaeologists for the excavations are David Pollack, Gwynn Henderson and Justin Carlson, who are all based at WKU. They will be leading the presentation of the exhibit and answering questions. 

“I think people are going to be really surprised,” Isselhardt said. “So many people write off indigenous history in Kentucky. This exhibit is one of the steps to combating that. They permanently settled here, this was their home, and this is where they lived lives very similar to ours.” 

The Kentucky Museum is creating an exhibit titled “First Farmers of the Barren River Valley”display findings from recent excavations along the Barren River, including Native American artifacts. The exhibit will open on Sept. 8. (Madison Carter)

Isselhardt encouraged the people of Kentucky to take the opportunity to learn more about the state’s history 

“We’re all Kentuckians,” Isselhardt said. “Whether you’re a native Kentuckian, you’re a student here at WKU, or you’re maybe visiting the region, learn about the places you’re in. I think the more we get interested in the places we already are, the more we’re going to start seeing the complete picture of who we are.” 

To learn more about the Kentucky Museum, visit https://www.wku.edu/kentuckymuseum/.