Crowd lauds late archaeologist

To artist Christina Biaggi, archaeologist Marija Gimbutas' discoveries have contributed as much to world knowledge as Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. In a special program honoring the late Gimbutas' achievements, held last Saturday in the Harrison Auditorium of the University Museum, Biaggi was one of five women to speak before a diverse crowd of archaeology enthusiasts from the University and outside communities. When she died in 1994, Gimbutas was considered by many to be one of the most influential and controversial archaeologists of this century. Speakers at the event included various writers and artists with deep admiration for Gimbutas, including Anthropology Professor Peggy Sanday and local actress Donna Wilshire. Though many in the audience supported appraisal of Gimbutas' conclusions, others considered the implications of her findings to be highly controversial. Gimbutas had theorized that in prehistoric Europe, between 6500 B.C. and 3500 B.C., the dominant cultures were peaceful and matriarchal. The native Lithuanian based her findings on interpretations of female imagery from the Neolithic period. The symbols associated with the female, Biaggi said, indicated to Gimbutas that "women were held and respected in reverence." In her research, Gimbutas proposed that in 3500 B.C., a violent patriarchal society invaded the female-oriented civilization, permanently altering the social structure of Europe. Gimbutas' unorthodox historical view has gained much opposition, yet even those who disagree with her studies still expressed respect for her willingness to challenge the status quo. Biaggi noted that Gimbutas' research has "struck a chord of deep recognition within women? contradict[ing] the traditional concept of human beings as? warlike and hierarchical." Audience member and Philadelphia resident Ana Negr-n said she found Gimbutas' research provocative and sensible. "I had heard about the discoveries of Marija and I've always thought that there was something about another way of life than the one we know today," she said. The commemorative event also served as a fundraising opportunity for filmmaker Donna Read, who is in the process of creating a one-hour documentary on the life of Marija Gimbutas. The celebration incorporated performances by Philadelphia musician Julia Haines and the Women's Sekere Ensemble. Read and her company, Belili Productions, plan to raise $60,000 from private donations in the upcoming months to finance the film. The documentary is expected to be released this summer.