“How ancient DNA revived ancient migrations in archaeology with Dr. David W. Anthony”
Friday, September 24, 20213:00 – 4:30 PM Pacific TimeLocation: Online via ZoomFree & open to the public. To register, fill out the RSVP form below.
Co-sponsored by the UBC Centre for Migration Studies Mobilities Group and CNERS.
[Abstract]
Among archaeologists, until recently migration was regarded as a simplistic (at best) and even racist (at worst) way to explain culture change in the ancient past. Ancient DNA recovered from prehistoric humans has shown, however, that our ancestors moved long distances in demographically significant migrations that had profound effects on food, gender, architecture, and regional genetics. Integration between modern migration studies and archaeological interpretation is necessary to better inform archaeologists about the dynamics of these encounters.
[Bio]
David Anthony is an archaeologist of the Eurasian steppes (esp. Russia, Ukraine, & Kazakhstan), known for his interdisciplinary research on the origins and spread of Indo-European languages, combining evidence from archaeology, ancient human DNA, linguistics, and comparative mythology. His most significant book, The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, won the Society for American Archaeology prize for best scientific book in 2010. He is an associate in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, working in David Reich’s ancient DNA lab; and an emeritus professor at Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY.
