TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Some of the nation's best stone crafters are gathering at The University of Alabama's Moundville Archaeological Park April 7-9, and children and adults are invited to learn how Native Americans used an ancient technique to make arrowheads, spear points and hundreds of stone tools.

Admission to the Moundville Knap-in, this annual gathering of artisans known as flintknappers, is $5 for children and $7 for adults, with group rates available.

Until Europeans came to the Americas, Native Americans made stone arrow and spear points, knife blades, scrapers, drills, and numerous other implements using antler and stone to knap certain rocks that break like glass-including flint, chert, and obsidian. Flint
and chert are commonly found in limestone deposits, and obsidian is a natural glass formed by volcanoes.

The professional knappers meeting at Moundville will vend raw materials of all sorts, including antler, leather, and a variety of knapping tools. They have taught hundreds of people this craft and welcome anyone with interest, whether as a spectator or a student.

Moundville Archaeological Park, which is operated by The University of Alabama Museums, will also host a second event, a Firehawk Powwow April 8-10. Native American dancing, storytelling, flute playing, and arts and craft demonstrations will be part of the event as will Native foods such as frybread and Indian tacos.

Admission for the powwow is also $5 for children and $7 for adults. April 8 is Kid's Day and those qualifying for the group rate can attend both events for the same price. For more information, phone 205/371-8732.

Located some 15 miles south of campus off state Highway 69, the Moundville site is a 320-acre National Historic Landmark of prehistoric Indian mounds, campgrounds, picnic areas and nature trails, with a riverbend lodge and a museum.

From A.D.1000-1500, Mississippian Indians constructed large earthworks in Moundville, topped by temples, council houses, and the homes of their nobility. Moundville Archaeological Park contains more than two dozen of these surviving flat-topped mounds, remnants of a ceremonial and economic center whose trade routes extended across large portions of North America.

At its peak, in about 1250, Moundville was the largest city north of Mexico, home to about 3,000 people. The park, located on the banks of the Black Warrior River south of Tuscaloosa, preserves portions of what was once the most powerful prehistoric Native American community in North America.