Neolithic by Sea: the social ecology of the spread of farming in the Adriatic – a view from Dalmatia
Prof. Sarah B. McClure (UC Santa Barbara) will present Neolithic by Sea: the social ecology of the spread of farming in the Adriatic – a view from Dalmatia at the Archaeology and Biological Anthropology (Arch/BioAnth) Lunch Talk on Wednesday, November 12th at noon in 261, Social Sciences 1.
Presentation Abstract: The last 20 years of research have provided new insights on Mesolithic foragers and early Neolithic farmers in the Adriatic. Excavations, material analyses, and the application of new methodologies have characterized a diversity of late Mesolithic and early Neolithic lifeways and the role of trans-Adriatic interactions for the spread of farming. Discoveries of underwater sites have also highlighted some of the taphonomic challenges for Mesolithic and Neolithic sites presented by post-glacial environmental change. This presentation highlights our current understanding of the Mesolithic to Neolithic transition in the Adriatic and the roles played by foraging populations, social interactions, and environment for the spread of farming beginning 8,000 years ago. Our research on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia seeks to characterize Neolithic farming societies and ultimately explore the processes underlying the eventual dominance of domestic plant and animal-based subsistence in the region.
About the Presenter: Sarah B. McClure is a Professor of Anthropology, Director of the Mediterranean Prehistory and Paleoecology Laboratory, and Associate Dean in the Division of Undergraduate Education at UC Santa Barbara. She is also a National Geographic Explorer and Public Voices Fellow of the OpEd Project and UCSB.
