AUSTIN, Texas—A new public education Web site, "Texas Beyond History," showcasing more than 13,000 years of Texas cultural history, has been started by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin.
The "Texas Beyond History" Web site is available at www.texasbeyondhistory.net.
For the first time, the lab’s scientific holdings can be seen through online virtual museum exhibit tours. The site also features a variety of creative resources, including map tools, children’s activities, an illustrated glossary and lesson plans.
The Texas Archeological Research Lab is a research unit of the university’s College of Liberal Arts.
The lab is working with the Texas Archeological Society, a 1,500-member statewide non-profit organization composed of professional and avocational archeologists. The lab also is working closely with the university’s College of Education to create curricula and other resources for K-12 teachers.
More than a dozen of the state’s leading archeological researchers and organizations already have contributed content, and the collaboration is expected to grow. Major supporters, in addition to the College of Liberal Arts, include the Houston Endowment, Lende Foundation, Texas Historical Foundation, Potts and Sibley Foundation, Amistad National Recreation Area and the Texas Alliance for Public Archeology.
"Texas Beyond History" features only 20 of the state’s most important historical and archeological sites. Over the next three to five years, the goal is to create 200 topical and locality-based exhibits linked to extensive resources for Texas schoolchildren and teachers.
