The Williamson Museum is primarily an archaeological / ethnological museum. Its collection policy has focused on archaeological materials from northern and central Louisiana, and the museum serves as a state and federal repository for archaeological collections for the region. The ethnological collection efforts have concentrated on material from the eastern United States. The museum has an exceptional collection of southeastern tribal material.
The core of the archaeological collection is the material donated by the late Dr. Clarence H. Webb of Shreveport, Louisiana. The artifacts in this collection formed the basis for Webb’s development of the prehistoric Caddoan archaeological sequence in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. With approximately 300,000 catalogued lots, this collection is one of the most important in the southeastern U.S.
The ethnological collections, including the material donated by the late Claude Medford, Jr. of Natchitoches, Louisiana, include artifacts from forty-one southern and eastern Native American tribes and communities. These ethnological collections serve as a catalyst for student-Native American interaction.
Annually, the museum hosts Native American craftspeople and artisans in a major sale-show. For over twenty years, this event has provided Louisiana Indians with a viable outlet for traditional crafts alive.
For more information, contact the museum at (318) 357-6195.