Archaeology

Meets on the 3rd Monday 1.30 pm
Our group meets to learn about and discuss archaeological findings from around the world. Archaeology is an exciting field of science that is rapidly changing, due to the adoption of new scientific methods. Objects found through archaeological excavations are being studied in new ways. Archaeologists have analysed the genetic make-up of ancient human remains to find out where they were born, what they ate and what their lives were like. We do not follow a curriculum, rather each member follows his or her own area of interest and presents to the group. We also watch videos. The last year has been a challenge but with the help of Zoom we have been able to enjoy still meeting, even if virtually!

Inca Trail

TALK August 2022. Garry's powerpoint talk and video he shot in 2005 with wife Gloria, guides/porters/fellow tourist group, followed the bus trip from Cusco to the actual Inca Trail starting point of Offantatambo to Machu Picchu, a 82km trek over 4 days and 3 nights. They walked and occasionally crawled steep sections. moving most of the time breathless with very frequent rest stops. The two steep mountain passes at a maximum height of 4.2km above sea level demonstrated it could be done if reasonably fit with traditional walking sticks..

Hiram Bingham

The Clark's followed American Hiram Bingham's trail of rediscovery he made in1911, to the incredible site of Machu Picchu. Today we know now that the Inca trail was a route of pilgrimage to Machu Picchu used by the Inca (or Emperor) in the 15th century. The film contained the sites of Machu Picchu and Garry's scary climb to the top of Wayna Picchu mountain and what happened to the archaeological artifacts taken back to America between 1911 - 1915 by Bingham. The archaeological treasures were returned to Cusco, Peru in 2011, 100 years later. . A more direct route to Machu Picchu can be made by bus and train in one day. from Cusco.

Carbon dating

July 2022 meeting

Peter explained about the structure of the atom, elements and isotopes. The connection with archaeology is in the carbon dating of objects.

Lake Issyk- kul in Kyrgyzstan

July 2022 meeting

Nanette then took us to Lake Issyk- kul in Kyrgyzstan where evidence of earlier civilisations when the lake was shallower lies below the lake’s waters.

Pre Christian Cultures

July 2022 meeting

Evidence of cultures in the pre-Christian era have been found and also pottery from the Middle Ages with inscriptions in possibly Syrian and Armenian which suggests a wider reach of these cultures into this area.

This Special Interest Group - Archaeology had its first meeting on the 16 February 2009. On the left is a group meeting photo from November 2009. All of our monthly meetings are held in the Community Centre Browns Bay.
Below are our May 2018 meeting images. Peter gave a presentation on the Musica of Columbia, the fourth largest confederation of tribal groups of South America. Fay gave a brief presentation on another Viking ship site at Ardnamurchan. Gill showed samples of fossels 309 million years old.
The fossil site is near Payson Arizona which is slightly north east of Pheonix Arizona. It is easily accessed from a car park just off the highway.
It's called the Indian Gardens Paleo Site. This area was once covered by a warm shallow basin. At this time a Pennsylvanian shale- limestone was deposited on the sea bed. Now called the Naco formation.
Amoung this deposit were many shells ,such as brachiopods and stick bryozones. It was really easy to obtain these fossils from the sloping hillside.
And heaps of fun! Gill