The Grave Creek Stone, a stone found during the excavation of the Grave Creek Mound in Moundsville that was allegedly inscribed with letters of an ancient alphabet, was a hoax, according to the guest speaker at Saturday's annual meeting of the West Virginia Archeological Society.

Dr. David M. Oestreicher will not only demonstrate that the stone was a fraud, the anthropologist also will identify the perpetrator of the hoax and his motives for carrying it out, according to a release from the society.

"Forging the Grave Creek Stone: Who Did It and How It Was Done" is the title of the speech to be given by Oestreicher, a leading authority on the Lenape (Delaware) Indians and their related tribes.

 Controversy has surrounded the Grave Creek Stone since 1838, when it was unearthed from the giant Adena mound at Moundsville and received numerous translations from a variety of sources.

Most scholars have dismissed the stone as a hoax, since it was uncovered during a highly unscientific excavation, but no definitive evidence to settle the controversy has yet been presented.

Oestricher is curator of the award-winning traveling exhibition, "In Search of the Lenape: The Delaware Indians, Past and Present," which The New York Times described as "an extended reverie" that captures "the vitality and poignancy of the Lenape saga.

In his lecture, Oestricher will discuss newly uncovered documents that demonstrate that the stone is a fraud and will shed light on the identity and motives of the forger.

The West Virginia Archeological Society's meeting will be held Saturday in the Charleston House Holiday Inn at 3:20 p.m. Oestricher's presentation, sponsored by the state Division of Culture and History, is free and open to the public.

Want to go?

Dr. David M. Oestreicher "Forging the Grave Creek Stone: Who Did It and How It Was Done"

WHAT: The West Virginia Archeological Society annual meeting

WHEN: 3:20 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Charleston House Holiday Inn

COST: Free

Dr. David M. Oestreicher will not only demonstrate that the stone was a fraud, the anthropologist also will identify the perpetrator of the hoax and his motives for carrying it out, according to a release from the society.

"Forging the Grave Creek Stone: Who Did It and How It Was Done" is the title of the speech to be given by Oestreicher, a leading authority on the Lenape (Delaware) Indians and their related tribes.

 Controversy has surrounded the Grave Creek Stone since 1838, when it was unearthed from the giant Adena mound at Moundsville and received numerous translations from a variety of sources.

Most scholars have dismissed the stone as a hoax, since it was uncovered during a highly unscientific excavation, but no definitive evidence to settle the controversy has yet been presented.

Oestricher is curator of the award-winning traveling exhibition, "In Search of the Lenape: The Delaware Indians, Past and Present," which The New York Times described as "an extended reverie" that captures "the vitality and poignancy of the Lenape saga.

In his lecture, Oestricher will discuss newly uncovered documents that demonstrate that the stone is a fraud and will shed light on the identity and motives of the forger.

The West Virginia Archeological Society's meeting will be held Saturday in the Charleston House Holiday Inn at 3:20 p.m. Oestricher's presentation, sponsored by the state Division of Culture and History, is free and open to the public.

Want to go?

Dr. David M. Oestreicher "Forging the Grave Creek Stone: Who Did It and How It Was Done"

WHAT: The West Virginia Archeological Society annual meeting

WHEN: 3:20 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Charleston House Holiday Inn

COST: Free