[OR_Archaeology] PSU First Thursday Lecture Series*Cultural Collapse and Reorganization on the Northern Plateau, ca.1500-200 BP*

[John Pouley]

Portland State University’s Department of Anthropology and the
Anthropology
Student Association  invite you to attend the

Archaeology First Thursdays Lecture Series

*Thursday January 12, 4 pm, **Smith 294  ***

*
*

Dr. Lucille Harris (Applied Archaeological Research) will present:

*Cultural Collapse and Reorganization on the Northern Plateau,
ca.1500-200 BP*

Archaeologists studying the complex hunting and gathering societies of
the
Mid-Fraser region of the Interior Plateau of south central British
Columbia
have identified a period of apparent cultural collapse marked by the
abandonment of large aggregated villages ca. 1000-800 BP and an ensuing
gap
in the regional radiocarbon record lasting until ca. 500 BP.  This
research
evaluates the process of village abandonment and the nature of
associated
social and economic changes.  Results indicate that abandonment of the
aggregated villages was most likely a response to altered climatic
conditions and that abandonment took several hundred years to
complete.  However, this study failed to identify any basis for wealth
inequality or
differential access to resources between households either before or
after
the abandonment, suggesting that previous models of socioeconomic
complexity in these villages are in error.  A new model for
understanding
prehistoric social organization in the Mid-Fraser villages and the
dynamics
of change associated with their abandonment is presented.

After the presentation, please join us at the Simon Benson House (on
campus
across the Park Blocks from Smith Center, 1803 SW Park Ave) for a
pizza
reception and no-host bar, which are linking to an alumni event. All
are
welcome.

John O. Pouley
Oregon SHPO
Assistant State Archaeologist
725 Summer St NE Suite C
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 986-0675 Office
(503) 480-9164 Cell
(503) 986-0793 Fax
john.pouley at state.or.us
http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/ARCH/index.shtml