This fall Raven Garvey, assistant professor of anthropology and assistant curator at the Museum of Anthropological Archaeology at the University of Michigan, presents the Roy A. Rappaport Lecture Series in the Forum Hall at Palmer Commons on the U-M central campus.

The four lectures in the series are based on Garvey’s book manuscript, Patagonian Prehistory: Human Ecology and Cultural Evolution in the Land of Giants. Following an introduction to the region and some of its archaeological puzzles, Garvey describes novel hypotheses related to colonization, abandonment, and meeting basic needs in a region widely considered marginal for human habitation. In particular, this series examines unconventional evidence for gauging colonization speed, alternative explanations for a purported abandonment of the region between 8,000 and 4,000 years ago, and reasons Patagonians might have remained foragers despite farming-favorable conditions.

The fourth and final lecture will be at 3 p.m. on Friday, December 6, 2019. The Rappaport lectures are free and open to the public.