Bullock Museum digs deep into Texas history with special film screening about Central Texas archeological site

SEPTEMBER 30, 2025 (AUSTIN, TX) — The Bullock Museum will host a screening of The Stones Are Speaking on Sunday, October 5 at 2 p.m. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker and archeologists.

“We're excited to host a special screening of The Stones Are Speaking with filmmaker Olive Talley," said Leslie Little, Museum Programs Manager at the Bullock Museum. "The film and panel connect directly to Gault Site artifacts on view and highlight the importance of preserving Texas’s cultural heritage.”

The Stones Are Speaking documents the preservation of the Gault Site, an archeological site located in Central Texas about 40 miles north of Austin, halfway between Georgetown and Killeen. The site changed history by revealing evidence of people living in Central Texas 20,000 years ago — much longer than previously thought. The film focuses on the role of Michael Collins, the respected Texas archeologist who was so determined to preserve the site for future generations that he spent years advocating and fundraising for the site, eventually spending his personal money to buy and donate it to The Archaeological Conservancy. The screening will be followed by a panel with Talley, President of the Gault School of Archaeological Research (GSAR) Dr. Jon Lohse, and Deputy State Archaeologist with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) Tiffany Osburn.

Research from the Gault Site was instrumental in the development of the Bullock Museum’s Becoming Texas gallery. When the gallery opened in 2018, visitors were greeted with a projectile point from the Gault Site that dated back roughly 16,000 years, updating data about when humans first arrived in the Americas. Visitors still encounter artifacts from the Gault Site on view in Becoming Texas. Currently on view are a set of four incised stones, some of the earliest known artwork in Texas. These stones from the site help paint a picture of the people who lived in Central Texas as early as 13,000 years ago.

The film screening is taking place as a complement to the Texas Archeology Fair at the Bullock Museum during October’s H-E-B Free First Sunday. This event offers free admission for Museum visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with archeology-themed family activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Texas Archeology Fair is presented in partnership with the Texas Historical Commission as a featured event during Texas Archeology Month, a commemoration that takes place each October to celebrate history and heritage through the lens of archeology. Throughout the month, the THC and partners across the state provide hands-on activities and host commemorative events such as archeology fairs, demonstrations, presentations, museum exhibits, and walking tours. 

The Stones Are Speaking film screening and panel discussion will take place at the Bullock Museum in the Texas Spirit Theater on October 5 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for general admission and free for Museum Members. Admission to the Bullock Museum is free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 5 for H-E-B Free First Sunday. Additional screenings of The Stones Are Speaking will take place on weekends starting October 11 through October 26. For more information and to purchase tickets to The Stones Are Speaking screening, visit TheStoryofTexas.com.

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H-E-B Free First Sundays presented by H-E-B.

The Stones Are Speaking film screening and panel is presented in partnership with Olive Talley Productions.

Texas Archaeology Fair is co-hosted jointly by the Bullock Museum and the Texas Historical Commission.

The Bullock Museum, a division of the Texas State Preservation Board, is funded by Museum members, donors, and patrons, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the State of Texas.

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​​The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a division of the State Preservation Board and an accredited institution of the American Alliance of Museums, creates experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. With dynamic, award-winning exhibitions that illuminate Texas history, people, and culture, educational programming for all ages, and an IMAX® theater with a screen the size of Texas, the Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals across the world to bring the Story of Texas to life. For more information, visit www.TheStoryofTexas.com