Published: October 20, 2009 07:10 am      

Archaeologist giving lecture at Dennos

He's an expert on treasures along 'Silk Road'

TRAVERSE CITY -- A National Geographic archaeologist will present a program in Traverse City Oct. 28.

Fredrik Hiebert is curator of a national touring exhibition, "Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum: Kabul." The 7 p.m. lecture is free with museum admission of $6 adults, $4 children and $20 for families.

Hiebert has traced ancient trade routes overland and across the seas for more than 20 years. He has led excavations at ancient Silk Road sites from Egypt to Mongolia. His discoveries in Turkmenistan at a 4,000-year-old city along the Silk Road made headlines in 2001.

His talk is in conjunction with the current exhibition at the Dennos Museum Center, "River of Gold."

Through his work with National Geographic, Hiebert travels around the world giving lectures and presentations as well as introducing films and exhibits.

In 2004, Hiebert was part of a team taking an inventory of the National Museum of Afghanistan, including the "Bactrian Gold." The Bactrian Gold is a treasure that had been under Afghanistan for more than 2,000 years, until Soviet archaeologists exposed it shortly before the 1979 invasion. The treasure then when missing until it was "rediscovered" in 2003.

Hiebert is the author of several books and holds numerous academic degrees and positions, including a doctorate from Harvard University and research positions with the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Institute for Nautical Archaeology and Robert Ballard's Institute for Exploration.

Hiebert is also the director of the Ancient Cultures of Turkmenistan Project, sponsored by National Geographic in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan. The project focuses on the origins of village life and the development of cultural complexity in Central Asia from Neolithic origins through the medieval period. Additionally, he is working on the development of new sonar technology to be used in detecting submerged settlements and shipwrecks in lakes and seas around the world.

For more information call 995-1055 or go to www.dennosmuseum.org.