Date: Feb. 5, 2013
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

PNCWA Friendship Group to Learn About Lost City in La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia)

WESTVILLE – The Purdue North Central Women's Association (PNCWA) International Friendship Group will present the program “The Lost City in La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta” on Thursday, Feb.28 at 11:30 a.m. in Technology Building, Room 301 . The event is free and open to the public.

The presenter of the program will be Martha Garcia-Saenz, associate professor of Building Construction Management and Technology and a past president of the PNC Women's Association.

According to Garcia-Saenz, the lost city was built in about 700 A.D. It was made up of more than 250 terraces used for living, working and celebrations by the ancient Tayrona Indians. All sections of the city are connected by a network of cobblestoned paths and stairs. Roads and stairs also connect the cultivation areas.

Houses were built over foundations in stones that have survived through the years. Part of the success for the conservation of the lost city is due to its architecture that prevents the rainfall from eroding the land with an effective rainwater network, combined with 39.3-foot high retaining walls to support the terraces.

This presentation of the ancient engineering will be accompanied with a number of pictures, plus information of the architecture, hydraulic channels, fountains, artifacts, jewelry and natural views of the national park where the city is located.

Garcia-Saenz explained that the city never was lost; the location was kept secret by the Indians to protect it and by the colonizers who were making money trafficking with the jewelry and artifacts found in the area. The PNCWA International Friendship Group gathers to celebrate women as they share culture, traditions and friendship. Attendees may bring a lunch, a friend, and an open and curious mind.

The PNCWA was established March 21, 2001 to serve the women of PNC and its service area. The Association offers a variety of social and educational activities for its members. Membership is open to all interested women within the PNC service area.