Explorer to delve into the mysteries of Lop Nur

Middletown — British explorer John Hare, who rides Bactrian camels and has visited some of the most remote parts on earth, will deliver a lecture entitled "The Mysteries of Lop Nur" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the Gilman Center in the SUNY Orange Library, located at the corner of East Conkling Avenue and South Street in Middletown. Lop Nur, now a desert lake, is located near the ancient city of Lou Lan on the Middle Silk Road in western China. Hare reached Lou Lan after a hazardous adventure and became the first person in recorded history to do so. He discovered an outpost of Lou Lan called Tu-Ying where cloth and felt dating from 1000 BC was preserved in remarkable condition. The weave of this cloth is similar to that used to wrap up mummies. Hare will talk about his discovery and the striking Caucasian features of the mummified figures, which might be those of Celts who came to western China during successive waves of migration. He also discusses a highly political subject, that being the discovery of toxic potassium cyanide. Hare is founder of the Wild Camel Protection Foundation, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a conservationist, and the author of 32 books. He has lectured to the National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Explorers' Club. This event is sponsored by the Honors Program of SUNY Orange and is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. For more information call 294-3398 or visit www.sunyorange.edu/culturalaffairs.