With apologies to you for any nuisance caused by cross-posting...

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Friends and colleagues:

Archaeology has much to offer today's world. That is why we have
begun a new series of Audio Commentaries about sustainability on
The Archaeology Channel, our public-education streaming-media
website (www.archaeologychannel.org).  The first contribution in
this series is by Dr. Christopher Scarre of the University of
Cambridge, titled A Fragile Balance: Population and Environment
in Early State Societies.

"Sustainability" has become a buzz word in our times, but its
frequent use reflects a growing unease about the course of human
exploitation of our planet. Because the sustainability issue
involves the complexities of human interaction with the
environment, archaeology has a critically valuable role to play
in the discussion. Indeed, the time-depth perspective of
archaeology may be essential to a full understanding of the
processes that have led us to this situation. Dr. Scarre
approaches the issue as one who studies early state-level
societies around the world. He examines and compares several
cases of such societies who faced environmental change that
endangered the foundations of their existence.

Dr. Scarre's Audio Commentary is at:
http://www.archaeologychannel.org/commentary/scarre.html

The study of past human responses to threats of this kind may
offer guidance as we consider how to mobilize a worldwide
response in our own day to a threat that may not be obvious until
it is too late to avert. Through our Audio Commentary series, we
hope to promote a dialogue that will encourage further
archaeological research with applications to this and other
modern problems.

These and other programs are available on TAC for your use and
enjoyment. If you feel that this project is a worthy endeavor,
please participate in the Membership and Underwriting programs
described on our website at www.archaeologychannel.org. Your help
will allow us to continue and enhance this nonprofit
public-education service. We also welcome new content partners as
we reach out to the world community.

Please forward this message to others who may be interested.

Richard M. (Rick) Pettigrew
President and Executive Director
Archaeological Legacy Institute

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This message was forwarded by:

Cassie Hemphill
List Serve Coordinator for The Archaeology Channel

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