Filmmaker Larry Ruiz and archaeologist Laurie Webster will present Ruiz’s new film, “The Language of Landscapes: Places in Time,” on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College.
The presentation will focus on the Cedar Mesa Perishables Project, which was founded by Webster. It is part of the Four Corners Lecture Series and occurs during the next meeting of the San Juan Basin Archaeological Society. The public is invited, and a social is planned for 6:30 p.m.
Ruiz, from Durango, creates films and documentaries about ancient civilizations and their descendants in the Southwest.
In 2012, Ruiz directed and produced his debut film, “Death of Place,” which emphasized stewardship of archaeological sites. “Waking the Mammoth” filmed the winter solstice burning of a wooden mammoth in Bluff, Utah, and depicted the fabric of archaeological discoveries going back 13,000 years. In 2017, Ruiz directed and co-produced 10 documentaries for the preservation series “The Greater Chaco Landscape.” His current project is a series of vignettes, “The Languages of the Landscape,” which addresses preservation issues including Webster’s work to help preserve artifacts on Cedar Mesa, Utah.
Webster is a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History and the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Her publications include “Beyond Cloth and Cordage: Archaeological Textile Research in the Americas,” and articles about Southwestern weaving. She has worked with perishable assemblages from Canyon de Chelly, Salmon Ruins, Chaco Canyon, Aztec Ruins and many other archaeological sites, as well as historic collections of Navajo and Pueblo textiles. In 2011, she founded the Cedar Mesa Perishables Project. She lives in Mancos.
See sjbas.org for more information.