Plants, Pronghorn and Pottery:
Reconstructing Prehistoric Native American Subsistence along the Northern Colorado Front Range
By Jason M. LaBelle, PhD., Department of Anthropology, Colorado State University
The presentation will review current field and lab research regarding prehistoric subsistence practices of Native American hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Colorado Front Range beginning over 13,000 years ago. Whereas archaeologists have well documented evidence for the types of animals sought and processed by these past peoples, the contribution of plants to Native American diets remains a bit more of an enigma. Macrobotanical analysis of burned plant remains recovered from fire pits provides one source of information to help illuminate dietary preferences. This information, coupled with an understanding of the ethnobotanical use of native plants, provides a robust avenue of research.
Dr. LaBelle is an assistant professor of Anthropology at Colorado State University Great Plains and Rocky Mountains of North America, with research spanning several periods over the last 13,000 years.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Denver Botanic Gardens – Morrison Center
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Register here