Archaeological Institute of America Spring Lecture

Our ancestors—and ourselves—have always lived within the shadow of mountains. As people started to move out of Africa into new habitats more than a million years ago, they found both challenges and refuges in the mountain ranges they encountered. In his talk, The Deep Prehistory of the Human Presence in the World’s High Mountains and Plateaus, Dr. Mark Aldenderfer will examine the biological, genetic, and archaeological evidence from around the world that helps us understand how some of us became highlanders from our lowland origins to live in these high places permanently.

Dr. Aldenderfer is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of California, Merced. His research themes include the origins of settled village life, human adaptation to high altitude environments, hunting and gathering, and early plant and animal domestication.

Registration is required for this free program.