UNC Asheville and the American Institute of Archaeology will present a talk and slide presentation on "Elite-Commoner Relationship in the Southern Maya Area" by Payson Sheets at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, in UNCA’s Owen Conference Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Sheets, who holds a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, is an anthropology professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His research focuses on the archaeology of Mesoamerica and the Intermediate Area of lower Central America, particularly focusing on the interrelationships between human societies and volcanic processes in tropical climates. Sheets has incorporated satellite and aircraft data from NASA with geophysical data to detect and explore the remains of human activity in various countries of Central America.

For more information, call Dorothy Dvorsky Rohner, UNCA assistant classics professor, at 828/251-6295.

Media Contacts:

• Dr. Dorothy Dvorsky Rohner, UNCA Assistant Classics Professor, 828/251-6295
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant, 828/251-6526