The Rio Grande City Kelsey-Bass Museum recently unveiled a new exhibit featuring hundreds of ancient native American arrowheads.
"We would like to thank Mr. Joel Barrera for loaning his precious collection of over 300 arrowheads to us for display," stated Kelsey-Bass Museum Exhibit Technician, Priscila Perales. "We invite everyone to come by and enjoy a glimpse of life in Starr County thousands of years ago."
Museum staff believes most of the arrowheads were likely used by the Coahuiltecan who were Native Americans that inhabited prehistoric South Texas and northeastern Mexico. The various Coahuiltecan groups were believed to be hunter-gatherers.
According to one description, the Coahuiltecan were first encountered by Europeans in the sixteenth century, and their population shortly declined due to imported European diseases, slavery, and numerous small-scale wars fought against the Spanish, Criollo, Apache, and other Coahuiltecan groups. The survivors were absorbed into the Hispanic and mestizo population of Southern Texas or northern Mexico.
The Kelsey-Bass Museum is located on 101 South Washington St, in Rio Grande City (former City Hall building). Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Residents interested in learning more about the exhibit or to set up a group tour are encouraged to call Priscila Perales at 956-487-0672.
