Stanly County has been selected as the first stop for a statewide museum exhibit that examines the lives of North Carolina’s earliest known inhabitants.
“The Ancient Carolinians,” an exhibit developed by researchers at the University of North Carolina with funding from the Alcoa Foundation, will be on display at the Badin Firehouse Museum beginning Jan. 11.
Admission is free.
The traveling exhibit can be viewed 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays and 2-5 p.m. Sundays through April 28.
The museum is located at 60 Falls Road in Badin.
“The Ancient Carolinians” uses artifacts from the historic Hardaway site in Stanly County to provide a look into the lives of people who lived here more than 12,000 years ago.
The Hardaway site, located in the shadows of Morrow Mountain, is the oldest excavated settlement in North Carolina and one of the oldest and most significant archaeological sites in North America.
The site was discovered in the 1940s by an Alcoa engineer. More than 1.5 million artifacts were uncovered by archaeologists and donated by Alcoa to the University of North Carolina.
“This exhibit allows you to step into the past and see how North Carolina’s first people lived,” said David Summerlin, chairman of the Badin Historic Museum.
“It’s amazing that these historic artifacts were discovered right here in Stanly County, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to give people in central North Carolina a first look at this exhibit,” Summerlin said.
Schools and other organizations can arrange group tours of “The Ancient Carolinians” by calling 704-422-6900 or 704-422-3713.