Leave it to a Texan to travel to the ends of the Earth and come home with a story about Texas.

In 2017, I visited Antarctica on a National Geographic/ Lindblad Expedition, where award-winning National Geographic photographer, Kenneth Garrett, gave a slide show and lecture about his work documenting the global story of human migration into the Western Hemisphere.

He pointed to an obscure spot in Central Texas, called the Gault Archaeological Site, and said discoveries here helped change the global debate about the peopling of the Americas.

None of us Texans on the trip had ever heard of Gault. And, as a longtime journalist who had covered the Lone Star State all my career, I wondered how it could be so pivotal and yet so unknown, especially to Texans.

At Ken’s suggestion, I called the principal investigator, noted archaeologist Dr. Michael Collins, when I got home. It took only one phone call with this engaging scientist to hook me on the story.

Now, eight years later, my documentary film about the Gault site and Mike Collins debuts on public television.

The Stones Are Speaking tells the inspiring story of how Collins, at great risk and personal sacrifice, saved 30 acres of looted land and found evidence of people living here up to 20-thousand years ago. Collins' discoveries at this unlikely spot put the Gault Site, northwest of Austin, on the map as one of the most unique and significant archaeological sites in the Americas.

As one archaeologist says in the film, “There’s nothing like it. Period.”

The film is more than a tale of archaeological wonders.

It is a heartfelt and timeless story of the power of one person to make a difference; and how selflessness, passion and perseverance can inspire others to act for the greater good.

Through extensive archival footage, photos and interviews, we follow this charming explorer as he overcomes one obstacle after another to save this plundered site. Collins saw potential in a place that others wrote off as worthless. He and his army of volunteers discovered the largest number of Clovis artifacts found at a single site in North America. That and other findings enlarged our understanding of how and where early people were living in the Americas around the time of the last Ice Age.

The film is a biography, mystery and historical narrative with an endearing cast of characters who share insider stories of the struggles to save this special place in history.

For me, as the director, writer, producer and fundraiser, this has been a five-year labor of love, with plenty of challenges to bring this small, independent feature film to theatrical and television screens.

We were honored when the film was chosen as the audience winner for Texas Independent Feature during our world premiere at the prestigious Austin Film Festival in October 2024.

And we were beyond thrilled by Michael Barnes’ fabulous review in the Austin American Statesman, which you can read here.

Deepest thanks go to the Clements Foundation of Dallas, Still Water Foundation of Austin, LaNoe and Paul Scherer Family Foundation of Austin, Summerlee Foundation of Dallas, W.D.Kelley Foundation of Georgetown, and the Texas Historical Foundation for their generous funding that made the film possible, along with donations from more than 200 individuals nationwide. The Williamson Museum in Georgetown offered a lifeline by serving as our fiscal sponsor.

More donations will help us market the film to a wider audience. All donations made through The Williamson Museum are tax-deductible. Donate here.

An hour-long version of the film will be shown on all Texas PBS Stations between March 17-24, and available for viewing nationwide on the PBS app. This summer, we hope to make the 85-minute Director’s Cut available for viewing on streaming platforms. Watch for updates on our website and social media.

Despite its worldwide importance, the Gault site remains relatively unknown.

I hope the film raises awareness about the Gault Site, a hidden gem in Texas that has influenced global thinking about the earliest people in the Americas. I also hope the film demonstrates the value of saving cultural sites before they are destroyed and lost forever through looting or development.

Finally, and just as importantly, I hope the film inspires others to be like Mike Collins and his wife, Karen, who set the example for devotion to historic preservation. Their lives show how much people can accomplish when they are motivated not by personal greed, but by the desire to work together for the collective welfare of all humans on this precious planet Earth.

To support and read more: thestonesarespeaking.com

To learn about the Gault site, including public tours: https://www.gaultschool.org/

Contact Information:
Olive Talley Productions LLC
Website: thestonesarespeaking.com
Email: [email protected]