Northern Nevada author and historian Dennis Cassinelli is scheduled to present his annual lecture and book signing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Gold Hill Hotel. Dinner is available at 5 p.m.

“Prehistoric Nevada” is part of the Gold Hill Hotel’s Tuesday night dinner and lecture series. Cost: $15 dinner and lecture; $5 lecture only.

Cassinelli is the author of several books, and his new book Uncovering Archaeo-logy, published by local publisher Box Sled Publishing, will be available for the first time.

Titled Prehistoric Nevada, the presentation will focus on the culture, tools and subsistence techniques of early Great Basin inhabitants. Dennis also will discuss the Spirit Cave Man, a 10,000-year-old human mummy discovered near Fallon in 1940 and the oldest mummy that has ever been found in North America.

The subjects reflect Cassinelli’s lifelong fascination with past cultures.

“I’ve always loved anthropology and archaeology,” Cassinelli said. “Our area especially has such a rich and vivid history. My goal is to understand the people who lived here before us to get an idea of how they survived and carried out their day-to-day lives.”

When Cassinelli inherited the artifacts from an aunt in the early 1990s, he typed and dated them so they could be donated to a local museum. The experience provided the framework for his first book, 1996’s “Gathering Traces of the Great Basin Indians.”

This event will mark the launch of Cassinelli's new book Uncovering Archaeo-logy, a book that helps answer some or our questions about past cultures, and presents new ideas and possibilities.

All of Cassinelli's books will be available for purchase and signing at the lecture.

For more information call Box Sled Publishing at 230-1073, visit www.BoxSl-ed.com or email deana@box-sled.com.

For more information on the event or to make a reservation, call 775-847-0111 or visit web.mac.com/denniscassinelli or www.goldhillhotel.net.