This lecture asks, (1) what makes us (Homo sapiens) special? And (2) why did Theseus and Ariadne go to Naxos? These radically different questions are answered through the archaeology of Stelida, a site on the northwest coast of Naxos (Cycladic islands, Greece), whose deep-time history takes us from Neanderthal toolmakers, via Bronze Age worshippers, to the Canadian/Greek project that has been investigating the site since 2013. From the earliest seafarers of the Northern Hemisphere to Ariadne’s hill, follow this remarkable thread with the project’s director.

This event is free and open to the public, sponsored by the Ann Arbor Society of the Archaeological Institute of America. Please join us in Room 125 of the Kelsey Museum’s Newberry Hall to hear from Dr. Tristan Carter, professor of anthropology at McMaster University and director of the Stelida Naxos Archaeological Project. Light refreshments will be served at 5:30 PM, followed by the lecture at 6:00 PM.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding accessing this event, please visit our accessibility page at https://myumi.ch/zwPkd or contact the education office by calling (734) 647-4167. We ask for advance notice as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.