Junko Habu, Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, presents as part of the Harvard Archaeology Seminar Series.

Archaeologists have long been interested in the study of long-term social change. Factors that involve specialization and centralization have been proposed as prime movers for the “development” of human societies. Contrary to these interpretations, I propose a hypothesis that diversity and decentralization may be critical for maintaining long-term sustainability of human societies. Using a case study from the Early and Middle Jomon periods (ca. 4000-2400 BC) of prehistoric Japan, this presentation emphasizes the importance of framing recent and current global environmental problems in the context of the greater human experiences.