February 5, 1994

The newly opened Parkin Archeological State Park held an open house attended by about 850 visitors. Parkin Archeological State Park in northeast Arkansas preserves and interprets a Mississippian-period Native American village that existed from approximately AD 1000 to 1550. European-made trade items from the era of Hernando de Soto’s expedition that were recovered at the park and written descriptions of the village support theories that the Spanish visited the Parkin Site in 1541. Since its beginnings, the park has operated under a partnership with the Arkansas Archeological Survey. A research station is located in the visitor center so visitors can watch research in progress and see firsthand the results of excavations and laboratory analysis.