Maturango Museum– On September 17, from 4 pm to 6 pm, the Maturango Museum is having a Member Appreciation Reception, which includes a presentation by archaeologist David. S. Whitley. Dr. Whitley has studied the Coso petroglyphs since 1978. In 1982, he received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from UCLA, focusing his study on petroglyphs in the Coso Mountains. Whitley also works on Southern African rock art and the European Paleolithic cave paintings, emphasizing the origins of art and belief. Whitley has published 18 books and monographs and over 100 professional articles on rock art and archaeology, and his work has been translated into six languages beyond English. According to the South African Archaeological Bulletin, Whitley is “North America’s (and perhaps the world’s) foremost researcher on rock art,” and he has been described as “one of the brightest minds in contemporary archaeology” in the Norwegian Archaeological Review.
Dr. Whitley’s presentation, 45 Years in the Cosos, and Still Alive to Talk About It, reflects on his many years studying the petroglyphs in the Coso Mountain Range. Dr. Whitley notes that the Coso Mountains contain the most significant and oldest concentration of petroglyphs in North America and one of the most important such concentrations in the world. Appropriately, given the sheer number and density of engravings in this small mountain range, the Cosos have experienced almost 100 years of archaeological study—since the first synthesis of California rock art in 1929. Dr. Whitley has spent 45 years studying the Coso petroglyphs.
This free event is for Maturango Museum members only. If you are not a member and want to attend this event, please join via Maturango.org or visit/call the museum. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis, but space is limited. Members may also attend online via Zoom. RSVPs are requested for planning purposes or to obtain the Zoom link by calling the museum at 760-375-6900. The Maturango Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
