Art of Science: Archaeology of Southern Silk Road: Concept, Reality or Fantasy?

PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8 PM.

In this science outreach series, scientists present different scientific topics to the general public in a laid-back atmosphere in an art gallery.

Please mark your calendar for the upcoming fall 2025 events:
10/23/25 – Genetics
11/20/25 – Geoengineering
12/11/25 – Nuclear Physics
More information will be given closer to each event.

The September 2025 event:
Archaeology of China's Southern Silk Road: Concept, Physical Reality, or a Marco Polo Fantasy?
Presented by Prof. Alice Yao
University of Chicago

Art in the gallery introduced by Connie Noyes.

Presentation abstract and presenter bios are below.

PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8 PM.

Exciting science, art and socializing.
Donation bar.
Vegan snacks.

Events are always free and open to all, so feel free to invite others.
Hope to see you there!

Parlour & Ramp Gallery is at 2130 W. 21st St.
Easily accessible by the pink line (Damen stop) and the Damen Ave. (#50) bus. Some street parking available.
https://parlourandramp.com/

Facebook event page,
https://www.facebook.com/events/1776831159600798/.

You are invited to join the Art of Science Facebook group,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/308458645920283/.

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Archaeology of China's Southern Silk Road: Concept, Physical Reality, or a Marco Polo Fantasy?

The Silk Road is often celebrated as one of the earliest transport networks linking China with Eurasia. Far less known, however, is the Southern Silk Road—a route stretching from central China through the mountainous southwest and into the eastern states of South Asia. Revived in contemporary discourse through the One Belt One Road project, this network was once imagined as an alternative passage to evade nomadic raids in the north, yet historical documentation remains scarce.

Drawing on recent archaeological field research, Prof. Yao will explore the actual contours of trade along this rugged frontier. Did silk and cloth drive exchange between China and India—or were horses and tea the more significant stimuli? And just how “old” is this road?

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Alice Yao
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Alice Yao is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago. An anthropological archaeologist, she is the author of The Ancient Highlands of Southwest China. Her decade-long collaborations with Chinese archaeologists have resulted in the uncovering of ruins of indigenous societies and Han administrative towns in Yunnan, which was recognized as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China in 2024.

Connie Noyes
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Connie Noyes is a multi-disciplinary artist who works with water, using the element as a conduit for explorations of grief, cultural memory, and collective emotional growth. Born in Washington, DC, Noyes received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and attended Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California, where she received an MA in psychology. Noyes is trained as a death doula and studied Butoh.

She is a recent recipient of the Cabins Haystack Residency Fellowship in Norfolk, CT, as well as two artist grants from the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs. Noyes has exhibited in cities worldwide, including Paris, Innsbruck, Munich, Dubai, and Bangi. She gained international recognition through her affiliation with Salwa Zeidan Gallery in the UAE, participating in Art Abu Dhabi and Art Bahrain, and was invited to the Biennale Internationale d'Art non-objectif in Pont-de-Claix, Grenoble. In the United States, she worked with sound artist Beth Bradfish and Harvestworks, on Governors Island, New York, for a project titled "Untied|United, and has had solo shows at the Evanston Art Center in Evanston, IL, "we are built in water" and at Wedge Projects in Chicago, IL. "A(mend)ed". Her "Under the Freeway" project was featured during Chicago Artists Month as part of "The City as Studio.” In addition, Noyes has participated in various international residencies, including the TransArt summer program in Berlin, Germany; Arteles in Finland; CAMP in France; ChaNorth in New York; Emaar International Art Symposium in Dubai, UAE; and the Thupelo International Workshop in Cape Town South Africa. Her work is in numerous collections, including The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Illinois; The Ekstrom Library of Photographic Archives Special Collections in Louisville, Kentucky; Rhode Island School of Design; and the Greenville County Museum in South Carolina. She lives and works in Chicago.

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Image credit: Alice Yao