SPEAKER:James E. SneadProfessorDepartment of AnthropologyCal State NorthridgeABSTACT: Historical archaeology in the western United States has traditionally focused on either the colonial-era "missions" or 19th century mining sites in remote locations.  Recently, however, historical archaeology itself has undergone a major conceptual shift, emphasizing the ways that the study of material culture can shed light on a wide […]

The Graduate Student Association of Archaeology, an affiliate of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, will host the 8th Graduate Archaeology Research Conference. This conference will take place on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, California, on February 7th and 8th, 2020. Accepted applicants will give 20-minute presentations followed by brief question-and-answer sessions. Program with Abstracts […]

Since the mid-1990s’, the U.S. federal government has relied on a border enforcement strategy known as “Prevention Through Deterrence.” Using various security infrastructure and techniques of surveillance, this strategy funnels undocumented migrants towards remote and rugged terrain with the hope that mountain ranges, extreme temperatures, and other “natural” obstacles will deter people from unauthorized entry. […]

SPEAKER:Dr. Amy E. GuisickAssociate CuratorNational History Museum of Los Angeles CountyABSTRACT:Methodological advances and innovative research are reshaping how we look for and understand human dispersals and adaptations on maritime landscapes. Refinements in paleoenvironmental reconstructions and search techniques have resulted in discoveries that challenge outdated theories of island and coastal regions as marginal to human migration, settlement, and subsistence. The […]

Mariana Favila VázquezArcheological studies regarding pre-Hispanic mechanisms of environment appropriation have been crucial to explain the complexity of Mesoamerican societies. However, an ontological dichotomy of water and land has permeated these investigations for decades. The activities practiced on the mainland, such as agriculture, among many others, are the preferred focus of interest for explaining indigenous […]

SPEAKER:Dr. Richard HansenAdjunct ProfessorDepartment of AnthropologyUniversity of UtahABSTRACT:Excavations over four decades in the Mirador Basin have revealed perspectives of the origins, dynamics, and demographic collapse of the Preclassic Maya societies that flourished in northern Guatemala and southern Campeche, Mexico.  The identifications of the social, political, and economic catalysts that created the cultural complexities in the […]

SPEAKER:Dr. Willeke WendrichProfessorDept. of Near Eastern Language and CulturesUCLAABSTRACT:After five years of work in Ethiopia the UCLA Shire Archaeological Project has established close collaborations with four Ethiopian universities, national, regional and local offices and the population living around the site of Mai Adrasha. In December 2019 this culminated in a workshop to discuss the future […]

SPEAKER:John Cherry Professor of Archaeology and ClassicsJoukowsky Institute, Brown UniversityABSTRACT:Until quite recently, archaeologists have supposed that the seas and oceans represented a barrier to human dispersal, and that islands were among the last places on earth to be colonized by people, only fairly recently, as part of the worldwide spread of modern humans. But is […]

SPEAKER: Dr. Caroline SauvageAssociate ProfessorLoyola Marymount UniversityBellarmine College of Liberal ArtsABSTRACT:Sails were one of the most important fitting of Late Bronze Age ships, and yet, they are understudied because of the lack of archaeological remains. Although iconography has been largely scrutinized to gain knowledge concerning the shape of sails, their use and their riggings, sail manufacture […]

Due to the evolving public health situation surrounding COVID-19 this event has been cancelled. The well-being of our Cotsen community and all attendees at our events is of the highest importance to us.SPEAKERS:Dr. Jason De LeónProfessorUCLA Department of AnthropologyAustin ShipmanProgram Manager for the Undocumented Migration ProjectGabe Canter and Nicole SmithExhibition Coordinators for Hostile Terrain 94ABSTRACT: In 1994 […]