NASHVILLE – Dr. Ed Henry of Colorado State University and William Lawrence of the Division of Archaeology for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) will give a virtual lecture May 19 at 6 p.m. (CDT) on the Pinson Landscape in West Tennessee.

The lecture is part of a monthly series of speakers including researchers, resource management professionals and archaeology students to highlight archaeological research in Tennessee. The series is hosted by TDEC’s Division of Archaeology. The May 19 lecture will reveal how a suite of new discoveries is prompting an expansion of understanding of the Pinson Landscape, which is centered on a complex of mounds and earthworks built by indigenous peoples about 2,000 years ago. Many of the mounds and earthworks comprising this landscape are preserved today as Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park.

“The division’s collaboration with Dr. Henry provides an exciting opportunity to develop a new understanding of the Middle Woodland era in West Tennessee and beyond,” said State Archaeologist Phil Hodge. “This research also highlights the importance of non-invasive, geophysical survey methods that allow archaeologists to understand site layout and complexity without extensive excavations.”

The online lectures, presented on the third Thursday of each month, are free and open to anyone who wants to participate. Details for the series can be found at this link, and links to each meeting will be provided there as each presentation approaches.

Each year since 1989, the Division of Archaeology has co-sponsored the Current Research in Tennessee Archaeology (CRITA) meeting to promote the state’s archaeological heritage and share information about research in the state. After canceling the 2022 meeting, the division pursued ways to share happenings in Tennessee archaeology with the public and professional community and build momentum toward the anticipated return of CRITA in 2023. The virtual series is a result of those efforts.

Anyone who has questions about the series are invited to contact Hodge by email at Phil.Hodge@tn.gov.