National Geographic photographer to speak on ancient cave art in LaFayette

Talk will explore prehistoric rock art and Alvarez's new book on the subject

Mars Theater in downtown LaFayette will host a talk by National Geographic Explorer Stephen Alvarez.

Alvarez is a photographer and filmmaker who has spent years documenting caves and ancient rock art sites around the world. He is the founder of the Ancient Art Archive (ancientartarchive.org), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and sharing prehistoric art before it is lost to time and erosion.

The talk coincides with the release of his new book, "Rock Art: An American Story," co-written with Tlingit editor Kate Nelson. The book explores deep American history through 20,000 years of rock art across the continent.

According to Alvarez, "Rock art is not just a relic, not just a decoration. It is testimony," Alvarez said. "It tells us who we are, who we have been, and how we might think about our shared future."

The subject carries particular weight in this part of the country. The Tennessee-Alabama-Georgia region, known to cavers as TAG, holds one of the highest concentrations of caves in North America, and rock art sites exist within a short drive of LaFayette.