13th Southwest Symposium: Causation and Explanation: Demography, Movement, Historical Ecology
January 14, 2012 |
Causal explanations of long-term change are the overarching goal of the 13th Southwest Symposium. Although there are many potential causes of long term change, here we focus on demography, historical ecology and movement, each of which has figured significantly in Southwestern archaeology regardless of theoretical orientation. The focus on these variables is not only supported by 100 years of research in the Southwest, but offers the opportunity to explore the intersections and tensions between them. Current solutions will likely be different than those of earlier generations. Human behavior is flexible, and the focus on single causation has given way to processes that operate at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Thus, small scale alterations in flora, fauna, climate, population, or interaction can accumulate and result in large scale changes over millennia, or short term, extreme events--- natural disasters or demographic shifts operating singly or in combination---can have immediate social consequences. Those that persist can alter cultural trajectories. The challenge then becomes the identification and integration of causes and consequences especially given the "hard won" evidence of a frequently ambiguous archaeological record.
The structure of this symposium proceeds from these goals. There will be four sessions, two each day on Saturday, January 14, and Sunday, January 15 held in the student union ball rooms A and B on UNM campus. Sessions begin at 8:00. A reception at the Hibben Center and Maxwell Museum of Anthropology will be held Saturday January 14 from_5 to 8 p.m.
The lead-off session On January 14 will be a round table discussion with formal papers presented by the symposium and session organizers. The following three sessions will cover each topic individually. Although each session addresses one of the three knowledge realms, participants are encouraged to examine (if relevant) the intersection with the others in the solution of some archaeological problem. Diversity in approaches, time periods, geographic area, and research context (e.g., academic, CRM, or government) is encouraged.
In addition, there will be two poster sessions, one on each day of the conference. Posters will be on display all day, but an hour each day will be set aside for the actual poster session (4-5pm Saturday, and 11-12 Sunday). Posters will be allotted a 4'x 4' space for display. For questions: Contact--- swsympos@unm.edu
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Website:
www.unm.edu/~swsympos/index.html |
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| Location Information |
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University of New Mexico |
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Albuquerque, NM |
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| Contact Information |
| Email:
swsympos@unm.edu |
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