Peter Mills, an anthropology professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, will be the featured presenter at the Maunakea Speaker Series on August 24, 7 p.m. at UH Hilo’s Wentworth Hall #1 auditorium.
Mills will present an overview of his work with Steve Lundblad, a UH Hilo Professor of geology, using non-destructive energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence to study the dispersal of ancient Hawaiian stone tools throughout the islands. Their work has helped define the role of the Maunakea adze quarry and other stone tool quarries in ancient Hawaiian economies, inter-island voyaging and trade.
Mills is an archaeologist who has been making his own stone tools since the 1980s, and researches Hawaiian culture from pre-contact and colonial eras. He has been teaching at UH Hilo since 1997, is a former chair of the department of anthropology and is currently serving as director of UH Hilo’s new master of arts in heritage management.
The Maunakea Speaker Series is free and open to the public. On-campus parking is open and available without charge after 4 p.m.
About the Maunakea Speaker Series
The Maunakea Speaker Series is a monthly scholar-focused presentation offered as a partnership among the Office of Maunakea Management, ʻImiloa Astronomy Center and the UH Hilo Department of Physics and Astronomy. This collaborative venture gives the community unprecedented access to fascinating research taking place on Maunakea and other topics unique to the Island of Hawaiʻi. A venue for scholars to share their stories and learn from discussion, the series promotes understanding and collaboration across all sectors of the community, while addressing the goals of UH Hilo.
For more information visit The Office of Maunakea Management or call (808) 933-0734.