Stories in Stone: A Day at Celebration Park
On September 27th Mrs. Sams took her 3rd and 4th grade classroom to Celebration Park. They all enjoyed this very hands on field trip.
They had the opportunity to explore the petroglyph trail. If you don’t know what petroglyphs are, here I is a brief explanation. Petroglyphs are images that are pecked or abraded on stone. Scientist do not know what any of the petroglyphs mean. Their meaning may remain a mystery forever. It is entirely possible that the petroglyph makes didn’t want anybody to know what their images meant. The age of the petroglyphs can be determined by the color, as they age they become darker. The students had a great time walking the trail and trying to figure out what they meant.
The class learned about the animals, plants and native people who inhabited the area. Celebration Park area was known for Golden Eagles, deer, snakes, small game animals and is a famous fishing hole. The rich culture of the native peoples was explored by the students with hands on displays of items that were used for hunting, fishing and other daily chores.
The day was very enjoyable and the trail across the historic Guffey Bridge as a treat. The Guffey Bridge was used to transport gold and silver ore from Silver City to Canyon County. The Guffey Bridge is Idaho’s largest historical artifact and is being persevered for future generations.
One of the most enjoyed activities was learning to use the atlatl. The atlatl was used long before the bow and arrow was introduced into the Great Basin. The atlatl consists of a thin, flat wood or antler blade, about 1 to 3 feet long. One end is held in the hand while the butt of a light spear or dart is placed in a surface groove at the other end. Using the leverage of the short board, which is like a catapult, the hunter propels the dart in an overhand motion. Some can be thrown up to 110 miles per hour. They are capable of killing a horse or an elephant. If you and your family have not visited Celebration Park, Mrs. Sams’ and her students would recommend you do so.
