MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - If you’re looking for something enjoyable to do this weekend—and you wouldn’t mind walking away with a few new facts to impress your friends—then Maney Hall at Oaklands Mansion is calling your name. At 2:00 o'clock this Sunday afternoon (June 30, 2026) the Rutherford County Archeological Society will hold its monthly meeting at 901 Maney Avenue, and the public is invited. Admission is completely free, making this one of the easiest decisions you’ll make all weekend.

A Deep Dive into Guam’s Ancient Rock Art

Laura Bartell told WGNS that this month’s program focuses on the Guam Rock Art Study, known as GRAS, a project that has quietly become one of the most comprehensive digital‑archaeology efforts in the Pacific. If you’ve never connected Guam with ancient carvings and pictographs, you’re not alone—but that’s exactly why this presentation is so compelling.

Field Scientist Aja Reyes will make your Sunday afternoon stroll beside Guam's rock art feel so real that you can almost reach out and touch it. Learn how art tells stories of ancient times and how humans of that era had similar feelings to you. If you have ever been to one of Aja's presentations, you'll be at Oaklands this Sunday with a car load of friends. 

GRAS began in 2020 as a multidisciplinary effort to systematically document previously reported rock‑art sites across Guam. Since then, the team has surveyed 12 confirmed sites, with four more expected to be added from the 2026 field season. Their work has already expanded the baseline record of Guam’s rock art, revealed new motifs, and strengthened preservation efforts through the Guam Preservation Trust.

This Sunday afternoon’s presentation at Oaklands Mansion is an update to the team’s appearance at the 2nd Pacific Preservation Summit in 2022, offering Murfreesboro residents a rare look at a project that blends traditional archaeology with cutting‑edge technology.

High‑Tech Tools Meet Ancient History

What sets GRAS apart is its commitment to non‑intrusive documentation. Instead of chisels and brushes, the team relies on enhanced imaging, GIS mapping, remote sensing, 360‑degree capture, photogrammetry, and chiaroscuro imaging. These tools allow researchers to record fragile surfaces without disturbing them, while also revealing details invisible to the naked eye.

The result is the most complete scientific baseline of Guam’s rock art ever assembled.

Guam vs. Middle Tennessee: Two Very Different Worlds

Sunday’s program will also touch on geology, and here’s the quick version: Guam and Middle Tennessee have almost nothing in common. Guam is a volcanic island capped with uplifted coral limestone. Middle Tennessee sits on sedimentary limestone, shale, and dolomite formed in shallow inland seas. They share limestone as a rock type, but the origins, ages, and geologic processes are completely different.

A Free, Fascinating Way to Spend Your Sunday

Doors open to Maney Hall at Oaklands Mansion (901 N. Maney Ave., Murfreesboro) at 1:30 p.m. for refreshments and conversation. If archaeology, island history, digital imaging, or simply learning something unexpected sounds like your kind of Sunday afternoon, the Rutherford County Archeological Society will be ready to welcome you!