On Thursday, November 15, Raven Garvey, curator of circumpolar archaeology at UMMAA, will speak at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at 7:30 p.m.

Archaeological evidence suggests conflict among groups living in southeastern New Mexico ca. AD 1300, perhaps as a result of competition over dwindling bison populations. Projectile points from sites in the region are highly standardized during this time, which might reflect a heightened sense of group membership—"we are US, they are THEM"—in the face of social tensions. In this talk, Garvey explores this hypothesis and some alternatives, and also, more generally, how who we learn skills from might affect technological change through time.

Garvey studies the influences of ecological, demographic, and social factors on prehistoric hunter-gatherers’ behaviors and broader cultural change through time. Her current field projects in Patagonia use simple economic models incorporating these factors to generate predictions of hunter-gatherer settlement and resource use at different times in the past. Her current lab-based projects are designed to test and develop models of cultural transmission and technological evolution, and to refine Patagonian chronologies using obsidian hydration.

This lecture is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Michigan Archaeological Society. 

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this lecture, please contact the education office (734-647-4167) at least two weeks in advance. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the University to arrange.