Presented by Dr. Clarke Wernecke, Executive Director of The Gault School of Archaeological Research at Texas State University, San Marcos.  Though long-suspected, the discovery of human occupation in southern Chile prior to 13,500 years ago started a major shift in the way archaeologists and prehistorians looked at the peopling of the Americas. Other sites predating the earliest named culture in the Americas, Clovis, have now been identified and new hypotheses suggested to explain how and when the first peoples came to this hemisphere. The Gault Archaeological Site, 40 miles north of Austin, is contributing to this current debate with 150,000+ artifacts from a culture that dates to 16,000 years ago. In his presentation, Wernecke will discuss both our past and present understandings of Peopling of the Americas and the impact of the world-renowned Gault Site on this ongoing paradigm shift.  The John W. Stormont Lecture Series is organized by and takes place at the Museum of the Coastal Bend. Lecture topics complement the museum’s mission of enhancing an appreciation and enjoyment for the heritage of the Texas Coastal Bend.   Free.  5:30 p.m.