New Doc The Stones Are Speaking Builds a Bridge Between Texas and Ancient History

In The Stones Are Speaking, Dallas filmmaker and journalist Olive Talley shares the inspirational story of archaeologist Mike Collins, who helped rewrite our understanding of human history by preserving the Gault Archaeological Site in Central Texas. The documentary will screen during the USA Film Festival on April 27 at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas.

Talley, a native Texan, says she learned about Gault nearly by accident while on a trip to Antarctica.

“Leave it to a Texan to go all the way to the ends of the Earth, to the White Continent, and then come home with a story about – what? Texas,” says Talley with a laugh.

A National Geographic photographer, Kenneth Garrett, was discussing the peopling of the Americas, referring to the migration of humans to the Western Hemisphere over 10,000 years ago. He spoke of Gault, which Talley had never heard of, even though it was practically in her backyard and playing a critical role in the modern reassessment of early human history.

Curious how something as significant and close to home as this could have passed her by, Talley contacted archaeologist Mike Collins to learn more and was invited to visit the Gault Archaeological Site.

That was in 2017, and while waiting for confirmation of the dig site’s age, Talley moved on to other projects. She circled back to Gault in late 2019, and this time was able to commit herself to a documentary about the site – and its champion, Mike Collins.

Collins, now retired, had an extensive career as an archaeologist and educator. Talley’s film shares his origins and work leading up to his first exposure to the Gault site. The site, which at that time was privately held, boasted a treasure trove of ancient human artifacts that looters and collectors would come and claim. The owners, ranchers who worked the land, initially had little interest in preserving the history of the site.

Talley conveys Collins’ passion and magnetism not only through direct interviews with him but also by allowing others, including the original owners of the Gault site and Collins’ peers, to talk about the impact he had on them. His wife, Karen, is a steady source of support throughout the documentary, eventually helping Mike purchase the site outright for a substantial sum, after the original owners recognized the damage being done and agreed to part with it. Mike Collins then donated the site to The Archaeological Conservancy.

The Collinses made this decision without financial motivation, putting everything on the line to expand our understanding of human history. We know now that the gamble paid off, as the findings from Gault placed humans in the Americas thousands of years earlier than previously thought, but an extraordinary act on behalf of the Collinses made that revelation possible.

“I feel like Mike and his wife Karen are among the most amazing and impressive people I’ve ever met in my career,” says Talley, who maintains a relationship with the Collins family. “And I’ve met a lot of people, but there’s never been anyone I’ve encountered who has this combination of factors: generosity, curiosity, graciousness, willingness to share what they know, [inspired] to engage others about history, devotion to saving history.”

Talley hopes The Stones Are Speaking inspires others to take up Mike Collins’ mantle and do their part to “save history” when they come across it.

“Not all collectors are bad people. They don’t have bad intentions. They, too, are very passionate about history, but they just want to put a pretty arrowhead on their wall,” says Talley, who believes that ignorance, more than malice, leads to the loss of historical artifacts.

“Taking things out of context really can destroy the very history that you want to reflect. And if you’ll allow archaeologists to come in when you find these things, or let scientists who know what they’re doing help you interpret them and truly save them by preserving their context, you can make a bigger contribution to history…” she adds.

“We can all play a role. You can report things. If you’re a big property owner, a private property owner, and you find really incredible stuff on your property, you can make a difference too.”

While Talley initially imagined Collins telling the entire story of the Gault site himself, health issues made that impossible. Talley decided to incorporate voiceover narration into the story, bringing in former Dallas broadcaster John McCaa to guide audiences, with help from the interviews Talley shot with the Collins family and other stakeholders, as well as archival footage from the early days of work at Gault (which was, miraculously, usable after sitting in another archaeologist’s garage for two decades).

The film is ultimately a great Texas story that becomes a great human story. And while Collins may not have been able to tell the entire tale himself, it is at least fitting that The Stones Are Speaking is as dedicated to him as it is to the Gault site. Much like the artifacts Collins spent his career studying, this is a testament to a life lived and a reminder of where we came from and what we are capable of.

Tickets for the USA Film Festival screening of The Stones Are Speaking are available now.