Health & Fitness
Famous Archaeologist Speaks at Port Jeff Doc Series Film
The Port Jefferson Documentary Series reached a new attendance record with 325 people attending for a showing of Cave of Forgotten Dreams on Monday, Sept. 26.
Monday night at the Fall 2011 had its third event. The audience once again exceeded 100 attendees with a total of 325, almost a "standing room" audience. The team of shepherds are doing an amazing job this year.
The movie, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, directed by and staring Werner Herzog, is about the Chauvet Cave in southern France. The cave, untouched for 30,000 years, contains the most ancient cave paintings known. Our human ancestors were quite adapt at using the technology available to express them selves.
Both speakers made the point that, although these rock paintings were made some 30,000 years ago, by our ancestors who had recently migrated from Africa, they were able to communicate their environment into the future. It is up to us to try to understand. It kind of makes one feel good.
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The program was introduced by Dr. Richard Leakey who is a Professor of Anthropology at Stony Brook University and Chair, Board of Directors at the Turkana Basin Institute.
The guest speaker and discussion lead was Dr. John J. Shea, Professor of Anthropology at Stony Brook University
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Barbara Sverd, a co-director of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series, is the shepherd for the program. I had asked Barbara for some thoughts on the selection of this movie and the process of bringing it all together.
"I have always been an archaeology buff and majored in anthropology in college, so naturally a movie such as Cave of Forgotten Dreams would interest me," she said. "While watching the film, I experienced the magic and wonder of our paleolithic ancestors and the awesome beauty of cave paintings. I believe our audience will feel same."
Sverd also said that she thinks that "we are so fortunate to have Stony Brook University as a neighbor and to be able to use its resources. It was there I was introduced to world renowned paleontologist, Dr. John Shea, who so graciously agreed to be our speaker."
Dr. Shea recommended that Dr. Richard Leakey be a part of the team for the screening.
"Of course I was thrilled," Sverd said. "Dr. Leakey's parents are the famous Louis and Mary Leakey, who are icons in the field of paleontology."
