Courtesy Photo A scuba diver documents an ancient artifact in this photo provided by Dr. Ashley Lemke, who will present a free lecture on May 16 called An Ancient World Beneath Lake Huron, at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena.

ALPENA ­– Next up in the Sanctuary Lecture Series is An Ancient World Beneath Lake Huron at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 16 at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for this free lecture, presented by Dr. Ashley Lemke, archaeologist, anthropologist, and Explorers Club fellow.

Take a journey back in time to learn about archaeological sites that are thousands of years old, preserved below Lake Huron’s waters.

Lemke has been working on underwater sites in the Great Lakes, exploring ancient landscapes, for more than 10 years. One of those research projects is the Alpena-Amberley Ridge, where 9,000-year-old archaeological sites have been discovered. The ancient sites, like structures for hunting, tell us more about the prehistoric inhabitants of the Great Lakes region than we knew before.

This free community lecture will outline the research that has been done underwater in Lake Huron — and in virtual reality. Lemke will also discuss what’s next for underwater archaeology in the Great Lakes.