Archaeology, Food Diversity and Long-Term Sustainability of Human Societies

Archaeologists have long been interested in the study of the mechanisms of long-term social change. Factors that involve specialization and centralization, such as domestication of plants, technological developments and social competition, have been proposed as prime movers for the "development" of human societies. Contrary to these interpretations, this presentation proposes the hypothesis that diversity and decentralization may be critical for maintaining long-term sustainability of human societies on the order of hundreds to tens of thousands of years. Using examples from past and present Japan, this presentation emphasizes the importance of framing recent and current global environmental problems in the context of the greater human experiences.

Speaker: Junko Habu, Professor, Anthropology, UC Berkeley