Along with scenic beauty, rugged terrain, and dramatic weather, landscapes at high elevation can tell us a great deal about the history and range of human occupation. On Thursday, May 4, 2017, a symposium highlighted the science and findings of “high elevation archaeology.” Titled Recent Advances at High Elevation, the symposium took place at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public, the symposium was co-hosted by the Center of the West’s Draper Natural History Museum and the Park County Historic Preservation Commission. The symposium occurred the day before the Wyoming Archaeological Society convened in Cody for its annual conference.
The symposium featured world-class presentations by archaeologists from around the world. Topics ranged from the overall importance of doing high altitude archaeology and the degree to which high elevation places have been used throughout the past 10,000 years.
Specific sessions shared findings related to specialized aspects of high elevation archaeology such as bison jumps, techniques used to study past alpine diets, ice-patch archaeology, prehistoric migration patterns, communal hunting, and more. The detailed program schedule including speakers, topics, and times, can be found here.
To learn more about WAS, visit www.wyomingarchaeology.org.
Since 1917, the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, has devoted itself to sharing the story of the authentic American West. The Center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. For additional information, visit centerofthewest.org or the Center’s Facebook page.
