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August 9th
Elliot Richmond, PhD. Adjunct Professor Astronomy, Austin Community College
Stonehenge and Astronomy
A brief look at the origin and evolution of
the world's most famous megalithic monument and its possible
astronomical connections.
September 13
Joanne Carpenter
The Olmec: Through the Portable Portal and Beyond.
Ritual objects held in the hands of Olmec statues, images, cave
paintings, and many other depictions have not been identified as
anything, except that useful archaeological catch-all, "ritual
objects." I propose that these objects are more than just symbols,
but served as subliminal portals thought to give access to other
worlds to whomever possesses them. There are many examples of these
"Portable Portals," but they have not been studied together as a
group. I hypothesize that these hand held objects carry all the way
through to the Maya and recent developments or findings suggest that
these symbols may have been expressed in a syntax on a large stone
slab found of Olmec origin.
Elliot Richmond, Ph.D
Astronomical alignments at Stonehenge and the purpose of the original structure
Most people view the standing stones an Stonehenge and step over the
interesting and most ancient part of the structure. Several
archaeoastronomers have detected alignments with important
astronomical events among the standing stones, but I contend that it
is not very useful for that purpose and has little practical value as
an almanac or astronomical calculator. On the other hand, the
original, 3500 year-old bank and ditch may have served as the basis
for a system of precise "horizon astronomy" measurements that could
have been used to predict the cycles of the seasons reliably and
would have served as an almanac for the builders.
October 11
Dr. D. Clark Wernecke, Research Associate, Texas Archeological Research
Forgotten Heroes of the Republic: A Grave from the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, May 9 , 1846.
In 1967 construction work exposed a mass grave of Mexican soldiers from the second battle of the Mexican War, Resaca de la Palma. Ongoing research is trying to discover the identities of these soldiers, what their life had been like and what that final day was like. The Mexican War has been overshadowed in our histories by the Civil War and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma has often been addressed in an offhand way. In fact, the battle was a pivotal one whose outcome could have dramatically changed history.
November 8
Elizabeth Pintar, PhD, Associate Professor of Anthropology Austin Community College
Archaeological Investigations at Salamanca Cave in the South Central Andes
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