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  • Lecture: Where it All Began, El Presidio of San Diego

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: Author and Historian Richard Carrico

    Join Richard Carrico as he explores Alta California’s first Spanish settlement at Presidio Hill in San Diego. Founded in 1769, the ruins of the mission and fort are now beneath the landscaped hills in Presidio Park. Carrico’s newly released book tells the stories of those who lived at the presidio, including the Kumeyaay people. One highlighted story is of Sinusin, a Kumeyaay woman who married a Spanish soldier and raised her family at the presidio. Carrico's extensive research draws from Spanish archives, Kumeyaay oral traditions, and nearly a decade of archaeological work at the site. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

    Get Tickets $8.00 – $12.00

  • SPECIAL ROCK ART WEEKEND: Dr. Whitley’s Lecture, Part 1 – Understanding Native Californian Rock Art

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: David Whitley, Ph.D.

    The meanings of pictographs and petroglyphs have long been a mystery to most people, including archaeologists. The result has been a series of supposedly common-sense guesses, like “hunting magic” or “maps to water,” that were offered because people claimed Native Americans themselves did not know why these sites were made or how they were used. But the unpublished field notes of the state’s Native American tribes — the ethnographic record — some dating back to the 1870s, together with extensive published research, paint a different picture.  With substantial research to identify and compile this widely scattered information, Dr. Whitley will explain how a clear understanding of the origins, meanings, and uses of the sites results, providing a better understanding and appreciation of the remarkable artistic and intellectual record of California rock art. In the ABDNHA Library.  General Public: $12, Members: $10, ABDNHA Volunteers: $8. Register at abdnha.org or the Nature Center at 760-767-3098.

    Get Tickets $8.00 – $12.00

  • SPECIAL ROCK ART WEEKEND: Dr. Whitley’s Lecture, Part 2 – European Cave Paintings and the Origins of Art and Religion

    ABDNHA Library 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, United States

    Speaker: David Whitley, Ph.D.

    Few aspects of our archaeological past are more intriguing than the ancient cave paintings and engravings of France and Spain. These are exemplified by the remarkable murals in sites such as Lascaux, Altamira, and Chauvet caves, which date from roughly 14,000 to 35,000 years ago. They, and similar sites, are widely regarded as signaling both the first “creative explosion” in human history, as indicated by the earliest true masterpieces of art, as well as the origins of religious beliefs and practices.

    In tonight’s presentation, Dr. Whitley will discuss his extensive research into cave art and how he has brought two distinct sciences together to find answers. The first part begins with archaeological data that suggest when, where, and why this phenomenon may have first emerged in human history.  The second part involves investigating the cognitive sciences to understand why religious beliefs are found in every culture, at all time periods. This is not to determine the veracity of religious belief, which is a matter of personal faith, but to explain why religious and spiritual beliefs are universal to the human experience. Whether it is the result of biology or divine inspiration, aspects of human cognition have caused us to believe in gods, spirits, and spirit worlds from the earliest days of humanity. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, ABDNHA Volunteers: $8. Register at abdnha.org or the Nature Center at 760-767-3098.

    Get Tickets $8.00 – $12.00
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