Friday, 10/4 |
ESCONI Field Trip to St. Paul quarry. We will meet at the quarry office between 7:45 AM and 8:00 AM Eastern Time to sign waivers and receive instructions. To participate, you must be a paid member of ESCONI by September 23. As always, the trip is tentative based on quarry activity. Trip rules: You must be 18 years of age (Indiana State law). A hard hat will be worn at all times. Sturdy construction-type shoes need to be worn. Long pants, no shorts, need to be worn. Limited to 20 participants. To sign up, contact John at [email protected]. |
Fri 10/11 | ESCONI General Meeting 8:00 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) Topic: "Discovery of a Major Ancient Maya Pilgrimage Shrine at Lake Mensabak, Chiapas, Mexico" by Joel Palka. Mirador mountain rests on an island in picturesque Lake Mensabak in the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico. I recently discovered that the island-mountain was a major Maya pilgrimage shrine 2,000 years ago with plazas, temples, ceremonial caves, and thirteen terraces --a sacred number in Maya religion-- leading up to it's artificially-leveled summit. What is fascinating about the find is that colonial period indigenous peoples mentioned that their most important sacred place in their histories was a mountain filled with caves on a pristine lake. While I do not claim to have found 'Aztlan' of the Aztecs and historic Maya, I argue that Mirador mountain was an important symbol of Maya community origins and world balance in the Mensabak region. My presentation will cover the archaeological discoveries on Mirador Mountain and place them in the context of pilgrimage shrines in world cultures. |
Sat. 10/12 | ESCONI Mineralogy Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed (TEC) Building, Room 1038B (Map) - Topic: Members' Favorite Collecting Spots |
10/11-13 | Wausau Gem Mineral and Fossil Show. East Gate Hall at Marathon Park. Friday 12-5, Saturday 9-5, Sunday 10-4. Free. For more information: website - http://www.exclusiveinspirations.com/wausau-gemshow |
10/13 - 10/19 | Earth Science Week |
10/19 | Burpee Museum of Natural History - They're back! Family Fossil Field Trips are back at Burpee Museum! Join
us in celebration of National Fossil Day for our first Family Fossil
Field Trip to a great site for collecting local fossils and minerals. Pre-registration is required, 50 participants maximum. $20/person Non-members, $15/person Members Registration will begin on Monday, September 23. To register call 815-965-3433. Contact Hillary Parks at [email protected] with questions. |
Sat 10/19 | ESCONI Paleontology Meeting 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038B (Map) Topic: Continuation of Show and Tell - Celebrate National Fossil Day - Bring a fossil to be identified! |
Fri 10/25 | ESCONI Board Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, Tech Ed Build. TEC 1038B (Map) |
Sat 10/26 | Archaeology Study Group Meeting. 7:30 p.m. College of Dupage, - Tech Ed Building (TEC), Room 1038B (Map) Topic: "Shipwrecks and Archaeology-What the finds tell us about history" Over the last several hundred years, there have been thousands upon thousands of shipwrecks in both the Great Lakes and Oceans. With over 70% of the Earth's surface covered in water, we will probably never know how many really exist. If we did, it would take hundreds of years to locate each one. Eric will be discussing some of his favorite shipwrecks. Over the years, Eric has acquired a few nice items from relatively famous shipwrecks-including the Titanic. His collection also includes a few shipwreck Silver 8 Reales which were the Spanish coins used in the middle/late 1700's in the soon to be United States. One of them was on a ship used to fund the Spanish government-but sank in 1783. The coins never made it-but why? Why were these coins so historically significant? Be sure to attend and find out how this shipwreck altered the history of the United States. If you have ever wanted to see an artifact from the Titanic or a famous shipwreck-be sure to attend and see them first hand. |