Lecture Series History: 2023
In 2023, the Natural History Museum of Utah's annual Lecture Series explored the Frontlines of Archaeology. Read on to learn more about the theme and speakers.
About the 2023 Lecture Series
NHMU is pleased to present the 2023 Lecture Series, Frontlines of Archaeology, presented in conjunction with our special exhibition Angkor: Empire of Cambodia. Registration is required for all lectures and links with registration details for each speaker are available at the bottom of this page.
Frontlines of Archaeology
The human desire to explore our past reveals insights into our present and future. From caves inhabited by early humans to the grand cities of Angkor, the world is filled with mysteries of our ancestors that continue to captivate our imaginations and illuminate our world. For the 2023 Lecture Series, we invite you to explore the Frontlines of Archaeology with four intrepid explorers whose fascination and research of the past have unearthed incredible insights into human history.
Inspiration for the 2023 Theme
The special exhibition Angkor: Empire of Cambodia inspires this year’s lecture series and will take you on a journey of scientific inquiry into one of the greatest civilizations of the past. Today Angkor is a cultural treasure to the Khmer people and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Angkor is a living heritage site and home to numerous significant religious monuments and temples, which attracts over two million tourists every year. See the exhibit at NHMU now through April 23.
2023 Speakers
Ella Al-Shamahi
Exploring Dangerous Places
Ella Al-Shamahi is a National Geographic Explorer, paleoanthropologist, evolutionary biologist, stand-up comic, TV personality, and author of The Handshake. She will present the keynote talk "Exploring Dangerous Places" at 7 p.m. on April 4 at Kingsbury Hall. Al-Shamahi specializes in Neanderthals, caves, and expeditions in hostile, disputed, and dangerous territories. From heading up exploratory expeditions to joining cave excavations, the conditions can be unusual, from avoiding landmines to wearing a burqa for security reasons. She almost exclusively works in places it is hard to get insurance, such as Iraq, Yemen, Nagorno-Karabakh, and places she can't publicly admit to.
Jason Felch
Chasing Shiva: The Hunt for Looted South and Southeast Asia Antiquities
Jason Felch is an author, award-winning investigator and expert on the black market in looted antiquities. As the first speaker in the 2023 NHMU Lecture Series, Jason will present "Chasing Shiva: The Hunt for Looted South and Southeast Asia Antiquities" at 7 p.m. on February 21 at NHMU.
Felch began investigating the illicit antiquities trade in 2005 as an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. In 2006, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting for exposing the role of the J. Paul Getty and other American museums in the illicit trade.
Dr. Alison Carter
Looking Beyond the Temples: The People of Angkor
Dr. Alison Carter is an anthropological archaeologist and assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon. She will present "Looking Beyond the Temples: The People of Angkor." at 7 p.m. on March 20 at the Viridian Center in West Jordan. Dr. Carter has undertaken archaeological fieldwork and research in Cambodia since 2005. She has been featured in documentaries from Channel News Asia, NHK (Japan), and most recently the 3D IMAX movie, Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia.
Dr. Rick Paine
Doomed by Success: Innovation, Growth, and Climate Change at Angkor and Tikal
Dr. Rick Paine is a bioarchaeologist, paleodemographer, and associate professor of anthropology at the University of Utah. He will present "Doomed by Success: Innovation, Growth, and Climate Change at Angkor and Tikal" at 7 p.m. on March 7 at The Salt Lake City Library.
Dr. Paine has been exploring the world of the ancient Maya for more than three decades. He has excavated at Maya sites in Guatemala and Honduras and has conducted excavations in Turkey and the United States.