David Hurst Thomas, curator of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and one the nation聮s best-known archaeologists, will speak at the University of Colorado at Boulder Oct. 27 on his controversial book, "Skull Wars."
Sponsored by the CU-Boulder anthropology department and funded by a department alumnus, the Sixth Annual Distinguished Archaeology Lecture will be held at 8 p.m. in room 270 of the Hale Science Building. The free public event, which coincides with CU Parents Weekend, will be followed by a reception.
Thomas, who discovered and excavated the 8,000-year-old Gatecliff Shelter in Nevada -- the deepest rock shelter known in the Americas -- will talk about bridging the rift between archaeologists and American Indians. In his book, "Skull Wars," Thomas argues that for more than a century, some members of the academic community have robbed American Indians of their history and dignity.
Thomas will address such political issues as the battle for Kennewick Man, a 9,000-year-old skeleton found in Washington that has been the subject of a legal battle between archaeologists, the U.S. government and American Indians. He believes the scholars and tribes need to work cooperatively and that Indian views of their own ancestry must be taken into account during anthropological studies.
A member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, Thomas earned his doctorate in anthropology from the University of California, Davis. In addition to authoring numerous books and articles, Thomas found the "long-lost" Franciscan Mission of Santa Catalina de Guale that flourished in Georgia聮s fabled Golden Isles from 1566 to 1680.
A founding trustee of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., Thomas has noted that the turning point in the power struggle between archaeologists and American Indians came in 1990 when Congress passed the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. In contrast to the fierce battle over Kennewick Man聮s remains, he points out that some tribes and archaeologists have managed to collaborate effectively on important discoveries.
Thomas acknowledges there is no clear answer to one dilemma shadowing 21st century archaeology -- how to determine the cultural ancestry of ancient Americans. But he hopes cooperation overcomes confrontation as American archaeology mysteries continue to surface.