Australian Nat'l Univ. archaeologists to hold public lecture on Marianas ancient history on March 16

Dr. Mike T. Carson and Dr. Hsiao-chun Hung

SAIPAN (Northern Marianas Humanities Council) — The Northern Marianas Humanities Council invites the public to a presentation titled “Archaeological discoveries of earliest habitation sites in the Mariana Islands” that will be held at the American Memorial Park Visitor Center Theater on Saturday evening, March 16, beginning at 6 p.m.

This presentation will be given by visiting archaeologists Drs. Mike Carson and Hsiao-chun Hung of the Australian National University.  

Their presentation will explore a number of questions associated with the initial settlement of the Mariana Islands and other locations in the remote Pacific.

Why did people come? When did it happen? What were the environmental and social circumstances of this unprecedented event in human history?

Carson and Hung are currently working on their second season of archaeological research at the House of Taga archaeological site on Tinian.

Their initial excavations at the site in 2011 recovered artifacts and features associated with the initial settlement of the islands believed to date to approximately 3500 BC.

During their presentation, Carson and Hung will summarize the important findings from their current work at this site.

This free presentation is a part of the council’s ongoing community lecture series which provides the public with information on a wide range of humanities topics by local, regional and international scholars.

For more information, contact council staff at 235-4785.