Fellow HistArchers:
Anne Garland, K. Fischer, and Susan Lebo have proposed a session on Historical Ecology and and Public Policy, an area in which historical archaeologists have much to offer (see below). April Beisaw and I expect to contribute a case study on our work at the town site of Port Tobacco in Maryland, concerned with the environmental changes wrought by development that contributed to the near abandonment of the town in the late 1890s. The deadline for submitting abstracts is July 15 (this coming Friday) and we hope that those with like interests will join us in this truly public archaeology enterprise.

Interested parties should contact the organizers: Kathleen Fischer <[log in to unmask]>, Susan Lebo [log in to unmask] We look forward to an engaging session and a great conference.

Jim Gibb 

My colleagues and I are hoping to chair a session at the SHA 2008 Conference about Historical Ecology. We are hoping that some of you would like to participate in this session with us. See the session abstract below.
 
Case Studies in Historical Ecology for Public Policy

Historical Ecology provides for long term understanding of the interplay between humans and their environment at various scales. Past variability should inform the decisions we make about the future. (Lipe, 1995). Archeology and history records human choice and response in which the effects of environmental change can be understood (www.nsf.gov/nsb/tfe/nsb99133/box9.htm). As social, physical and natural scientists develop shared concepts, they can effectively address environmental change (ibid.). Local knowledge about changes in the environment, culture, and history can serve as a basis for public policy that results in appropriate solutions. (ibid.) In this session historical ecology applied to public policy will be presented as case studies for education and comparisons.
 
SHA session registration is at this website www.sha.org  OR
http://www.sha.org/documents/announcements/2008CallforPapers.pdf


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Gibb Archaeological Consulting 
James G. Gibb, Ph.D. 
2554 Carrollton Road 
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 
(443) 482-9593 
www.gibbarchaeology.org