Fall Forum 2013 Speaker: Kenneth Barnett Tankersley, Ph.D. 

We are kicking off our 50th anniversary year by celebrating our roots in archeology and by highlighting how past and current preservation efforts enhances Cincinnati. When founded in 1964, the Cincinnati Preservation Association, then called the Miami Purchase Association, had a strong focus on the protection of archeological resources.  The new organization’s first initiative, in fact, resulted in protecting the important archeological sites at Shawnee Lookout.

This year’s Fall Forum speaker, Kenneth Barnett Tankersley, Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati, will bring the origins of our organization to life.  Dr. Tankersley will highlight the unparalleled archeological richness of the Ohio River Valley and show how it enriches the current culture of the region.  Dr. Tankersley is a renowned anthropologist who has worked at sites throughout the Western Hemisphere and Eastern Siberia.  He has also worked extensively at Shawnee Lookout and is currently conducting an archeological excavation at the Little Miami River in Mariemont.

Dr. Tankersley has been featured in numerous documentaries because of this ability to present new scientific findings in ways that engage the public’s imagination.  The Fall Forum attendees will be treated to a delightful presentation of our archeological heritage and learn how this history contributes to the quality of life today.

The fieldwork of Dr. Tankersley has been featured in dozens of media outlets including Science, National Geographic, Scientific American, Archaeology, American Archaeology, Natural History, PBS, NOVA and BBC Nature as well as national and international newspapers, magazines, radio and television. He has been a foreign delegate for the National Academy of Science, a Carnegie Mellon Scholar Lecturer, and guest editor of Scientific American magazine.