CCSU Professor to Give Talk on Ancient America's Hidden History

Ken Feder, an author and professor of anthropology at Central Connecticut State University, will speak in Norwalk Oct. 13 about some of the lesser-known aspects of America’s pre-European civilizations.

The talk is titled “Ancient America’s Hidden History” and is sponsored by the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County. The event dovetails with Columbus Day.

“Seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth-century European explorers and settlers in the American Midwest and Southeast wrote about their encounters with vast empires of pyramid building farmers whose quite sedentary population centers were surrounded by miles of cornfields and whose societies were ruled by powerful kings or great chiefs,” says Feder.

“In the American Southwest, European writers described peaceful farmers living in enormous, finely constructed and elaborate adobe and stone apartment complexes,” he says. “Other writers in the Southwest recorded the presence of beautiful buildings ensconced in impossibly inaccessible cliff niches, leaving the viewer with the impression of breathtaking castles suspended in mid-air.”

The remains of many of these monuments still exist and are open to exploration. Feder hopes to inspire the audience to explore some of these ancient treasures.

Feder has written numerous books, including the popular “Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology.” He’s also appeared on several television shows, including on the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel. He’s been especially visible in his efforts to debunk historical myths and conspiracy theories.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Silver Star Diner at 210 Connecticut Ave. in Norwalk. It is free and open to the public.

The Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County, Connecticut, espouses Reason and Compassion, seeks to promote Humanism and free thought in our community. It meets on the second Monday of each month, with speakers, discussion, and social time. Learn more at meetup.com/HFFCCT.