sponsored by
The Center for Archaeological Investigations
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
in cooperation with
Division of Continuing Education
CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
"The Archaeology of Anthropogenic Environments" is the 24th annual Visiting Scholar Conference held by the Center for Archaeological Investigations at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The Visiting Scholar Program brings in a new researcher to organize a conference every year on a topic of archaeological importance. Previous conferences have focused on such diverse themes as hunter/gatherers, biomolecular approaches to archaeology, and food.
This year's conference considers the importance of the archaeological record for understanding anthropogenic environmental change, as well as the importance of anthropogenic environmental change for understanding past human cultures. No inhabited place on earth can truly be considered “natural” or “pristine” – we live in an environment transformed by millennia of cultural forces. Archaeology is uniquely suited to exploring the human effect on landscapes by looking at the deep temporal context of environmental data. The impact of ancient peoples on their environment was highly complex. Various social and economic forces determined whether landscapes were impoverished or enriched, soil fertility enhanced or destroyed, plant and animal biodiversity increased or decreased by human activities. This conference brings together botanists, biologists, geologists, and archaeologists to explore these important issues in past societies.
For further information contact:
Rebecca M. Dean
Center for Archaeological Investigations
Mail Code 4527
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
Office: (618) 453-5032
FAX: (618) 453-8467
rdean@siu.edu
