WHAT: New Mexico State University will host a live forum with NMSU archaeology assistant professor Katie Richards as part of the NMSU Cambios Climate Change Speaker Series, an interdisciplinary series to bring a range of experts to NMSU and Las Cruces to promote informed discussion of the causes and consequences of climate change. The event will be free and open to the public.
WHO: Katie Richards, NMSU archaeology assistant professor, will give a talk titled “The Archaeology of Climate Change: How Past Peoples Adapted to Changing Environments in the American Southwest.” Richards’ primary research focus is on the use of pottery production and distribution to explore issues of identity and migration in the precontact far northern American Southwest. She will discuss how conditions along the northern extreme of the Southwest impacted cultures living in the region.
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29
WHERE: The Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N Main St.
VISUALS: Richards will give a presentation, followed by a discussion.
Changing climatic conditions in the northern Southwest, primarily characterized by increasing drought, extreme heat, and altered precipitation patterns, have significantly impacted indigenous cultures by disrupting their traditional food sources, access to water, cultural practices tied to the land and overall ecological balance, leading to challenges in maintaining their way of life and potentially impacting their spiritual well-being; this is particularly concerning as many native communities rely heavily on the natural environment for sustenance and cultural identity.
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CUTLINE: New Mexico State University archaeology assistant professor will speak about “The Archaeology of Climate Change: How Past Peoples Adapted to Changing Environments in the American Southwest” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Rio Grande Theatre. (Courtesy graphic)