Looking for Lost Lore, Studies in Folklore, Ethnology, and Iconography has recently been published by the University of Alabama Press. The author, George E. Lankford, a retired professor at Lyon College in Batesville, will give an illustrated lecture and will sign copies of his new book at the Old Independence Regional Museum at 4 p.m. June 8.
The book is a collection of studies of prehistoric Indian life and culture in the Southeast, and some of the material deals directly with Arkansas prehistory. The chapters range from attempts to recover lost rituals to the interpretation of prehistoric art.
The talk, “Riders in the Sky,” will present the argument of one of the art chapters, explaining the meaning of a collection of 14th century engraved shell disks worn around the necks of Indians in Tennessee and Alabama. The design is known to archaeologists as the “Spaghetti Gorgets” because of the many squiggly forms that fill the disk. Lankford, is a folklorist who specializes in iconography, or the recovery of the meaning of codes in ancient visual art. Lankford offers an interpretation of the gorgets and shows how they can provide insights into prehistoric events even beyond the meaning of the design itself.
Dr. Lankford retired in 2001 from Lyon College, where he was Bradley Professor in the Social Sciences. Since then he has published three books and a number of articles. He has served as a member of the Museum Board and is currently president of the Independence County Historical Society.
The event is free and open to the public. Those who wish to purchase copies of the new book can do so at the Museum Gift Shop, which stocks the volume.
For more information call (870) 793-2121
