Memories from decades past!

Mike has always had students who keep in touch with him, and, of course, over the years, they have accumulated.



There was a cohesive group of archaeology-bound students who were at UCSB when he started teaching in 1969.  Not so different in age, many of these students have gone on to make contributions in the field and have even retired, yet, like Mike, have continued in the field in a number of ways.

One of these colleagues is Shelly Davis King,  whose work has been in California and has received the lifetime achievement award from the Society for California Archaeology.   

Shelly visited Mike on Friday the 30th and they had the most enjoyable and lively visit.  Shelly brought lunch they ate while reminiscing.  



While Shelly and Mike met when he was her professor, time has shrunk that hierarchy and their common research in California continues to spark creative discussions.



Shelly drove down from her home in the Sierra Foothills, and she was taking advantage of other visits she would make on a coastal California road trip.


Destination Santa Barbara meant she could see Mike, and she said it had been a long time since she had a one-on-one with Mike!






I can only imagine the perigrinations the conversations took.  

Shelly was delighted to learn that Mike had completed his manuscript on the archaeology of the Santa Barbara area.  This is in press now and will be published by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.  This will be the first update of the prehistory of the Santa BArbara area  since David Banks Rodgers of 1929!

Their visit could have been longer, but Mike's daily hyperbaric oxygen therapy cut the talk short.  Mike would not have recalled the appointment as he was engrossed in their discussions!  Maria had to pull him away and reluctantly, he agreed.

Comments

  1. IPA makes me HoppyJune 4, 2025 at 9:29 AM

    This was a fantastic visit, and being with Mike’s engaging mind was truly encouraging. He has improved so much since I made the date to come visit— I was worried about conversation topics. Well, silly me. There was no end of things to talk about, events about which to reminisce, and funny stories to share. Mike wanted to know how many of you out there are doing and wanted background details. He shared the importance of his new book, popular in style, but with detailed end notes and citations to make it usable and relevant to the professional. Look for it soon, to be published by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (thanking another of Mike’s former students, John Johnson). It’s a long haul to Santa Barbara from my home but I’m ever so glad I made the visit. Worth it so much! Thanks Anabel for all you are doing. Welcome home.

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