FREE LECTURE Kings of the Maya Rain Forest
Presented by Dr Peter Mathews
Tuesday 19 May

Advances over the past fifty years have led to the deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs and a complete revision of our understanding of first millennium Maya society in Mexico and Central America. This free presentation looks at life among the rulers of the ancient Maya—their internal organisation and their (often stormy) relations with one another.

Peter Mathews received his PhD from Yale University and has worked in Mexico and Guatemala for over 30 years. His specialisation is the study of Maya hieroglyphic writing and the implications of the hieroglyphic texts for understanding ancient Maya history and society.

FREE LECTURE Paupers and Immigrants
Presented by Dr Peter Davies
Wednesday 20 May

Sydney's Hyde Park Barracks is well known for its association with male convicts. With the end of transportation to NSW in 1840, however, the building became a depot for female immigrants, and later an asylum for destitute women. A large collection of artefacts found beneath the floorboards of the barracks promises to shed new light on the institutional lives of these women.

Dr Peter Davies is an historical archaeologist at La Trobe University. His previous research has focused on community life at Henry's Mill in Victoria's Otway Ranges.