The Ohio State University Department of Anthropology Presents “Romance and Reality in the Mythical Mission Past: How We Found the Lost Spanish Mission on St. Catherines Island” By Dr. David Hurst Thomas, Curator, American Museum of Natural History Professor, Richard Gilder Graduate School.
This lecture addresses the nostalgia and romance that has long surrounded the Franciscan and Jesuit missions across America. From San Francisco (California) through the Southwest to the American South (including St. Augustine, Florida), mainstream American narratives have constructed and perpetuated an idealized, romanticized version of the Spanish mission – complete with Mission Revival architectural styles and reconstructed archaeological sites that sometimes resemble Hollywood stage sets. This illustrated talk draws upon four decades of (still on-going) archaeological research on St. Catherines Island (Georgia) and suggests more historically-appropriate perspectives on America’s mission heritage.
Reception to follow
