LITERATURE + LECTURES

The Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Archaeological Institute of America, Houston present an HMNS/AIA Special Lecture entitled Voyages of Monsoons and Gold, The Indian Ocean Trade, A Maritime Silk Route, Wednesday, October 20, 6:30 p.m. Featuring Derek Kennet, Ph.D., (pictured) The University of Durham, England. Co-sponsored by AIA - Houston.

Sign on for the voyage of your life as Derek Kennet from Durham University leads you on a tour of the Indian Ocean. Fabulous silks, spices, incense, pearls, ivory, and gem stones traversed the routes of the Indian Ocean from China to India to Arabia, driven by the monsoon winds. From the Roman period a maritime silk route as valuable as the over land silk route developed in the Indian Ocean, growing into the most important trade network in the medieval world and heralding the beginning of a truly global economy. Along the way, cultural exchange brought about shifts in ideas, technology, and beliefs. Experience the effect of the monsoon winds and discover what was meant by the “graveyard of gold”.

Dr. Derek Kennet has conducted archaeological field work at several locations along the Indian Ocean’s silk route. He is a pioneer of economic archaeology that traces the patterns of economic interaction and interdependence.

This lecture sponsored by AIA - Houston is underwritten by Saudi Aramco.