The Journal
Forensic anthropologist Douglas W. Owsley, division head for physical anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, will speak at Fort Lewis College about his work in Colonial Jamestown, Virginia.
The San Juan Basin Archaeological Society and Fort Lewis College will host the lecture – “Forensic Investigation of the 17th Century Chesapeake: Colonial Jamestown and Historic St. Mary’s City” – at the FLC Ballroom at 7 p.m., Sept. 15. A reception with light refreshments will precede the event at 6:30 p.m.
In addition to forensic case work, he conducts extensive research on historic and prehistoric populations from North America, according to a news release from the San Juan Basin Archaeological Society. These include the remains of 17th-century colonists, Civil War soldiers and ancient Americans – such as the nearly 9,000-year-old Kennewick Man. Highlights of his work at Jamestown and historic St. Mary’s City were featured in an exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History titled “Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake (2009-2014).” By studying the human skeleton, he reveals details about a person’s life, and he has identified remains from news-making crime scenes, mass disasters, and war zones.
Tickets for the lecture – $10 plus convenience fees – are available in advance from the Durango Welcome Center, 802 Main Ave., at 970-247-7657, or at www.durangoconcerts.com. Convenience fees per ticket, are $1 in person, $2 by phone, or $3 if purchased online. If still available, tickets may be purchased at the door for $12, starting at 5:30 p.m. At least $5 from each ticket sale will go to the archaeological society’s internship fund to benefit the Center of Southwest Studies.
Owsley’s Lecture, travel and accommodations are supported by the Ballantine Family Fund, a Colorado Archaeological Society Education Grant, a Durango arts and culture grant and the Rochester Hotel.
This article was corrected on Aug. 18 to correct that Colonial Jamestown is in Virginia.