OCTOBER 19, 2009 CONWAY, SC - Coastal Carolina University's maritime archaeologist Cheryl Ward will give a talk, "4,000 Years of Red Sea Archaeology," at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22 in Wall Auditorium.  The lecture, about her excavation work along Egypt's Red Sea coast, is sponsored by Psi Mu, the University's chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society. The event is free and open to the public.

The illustrated lecture describes Ward's work with the Sadana Island shipwreck as well as the excavations of the 20th-century BCE pharaonic port of Mersa Gawasis, where trade expeditions to the mythical land of Punt were launched.
   
"Ancient Egyptians made round-trip voyages of up to 2,000 miles to trade wine and weapons for frankincense, myrrh and gold," said Ward, an internationally recognized maritime archaeologist. "And much later, Muslim merchants picked up Chinese porcelain, incense and coffee along a similar route."

In addition to public lectures and other community outreach programs, Ward is working to establish Coastal Carolina University's new Center for Archaeology and Anthropology, which will promote the research and study issues of the Carolina lowcountry, including the Gullah culture. 

She earned her Ph.D. in anthropology from Texas A&M University, a master's degree in bioarchaeology from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of London, a master's degree in anthropology from Texas A&M University and a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Texas Tech University. Ward founded and co-directed the Institute of Nautical Archaeology in Egypt and has served as a national speaker for the Archaeological Institute of America.

The Psi Mu chapter was established at Coastal in 1978. Phi Alpha Theta encourages historical research, excellence in teaching, scholarly publication and the exchange of learning among students of history.