The first meeting of the newly formed Big Clifty Archaeological Society will be held this Saturday, January 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Big Clifty Community Center.

The group, which has been formed by former Grayson Countian and professional archaeologist Anne Bader, will host an informal initial gathering to discuss the direction the society will take in the future, and to give anyone interested a chance to learn about and discuss the prehistoric and early historic pasts of Grayson and the surrounding counties.

Bader has more than 30 years of experience in the field, owns Corn Island Archaeology LLC, in Louisville, and founded the Falls of the Ohio Archaeological Society, which is now in its eleventh year.

She encourages local residents who may have artifacts to bring them in to the meeting, where she will be happy to answer questions about the items. However, she explained that she will not take questions on how much any artifact is worth in terms of financial value.

A slide show on the area’s prehistoric past will also be presented on Saturday.

Bader said that she recognized the fact that many people cannot make the trek to Louisville on a regular basis to attend interest groups on the subject of archaeology, so her goal in starting the Big Clifty group is “to reach out to others in the state and provide this opportunity to share a common fascination with the past.”

“We’ve got a very active relationship here [in Grayson County],” She said.

Since the group is in its forming stage, Bader hopes attendees will come prepared with ideas on what direction the society will take in the future.