Volcanoes, Climate Change and Modern Human Migrations across Africa

Date: 

Thursday, May 8, 2014, 7:00pm

Location: 

Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

Volcanoes, Climate Change, and Modern Human Migrations across Africa

https://peabody.harvard.edu/node/943

Christian Tryon, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Harvard University Lecture. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, May 8, 7:00 pm.

Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA Free event parking available in the 52 Oxford Street Garage Sponsored by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology

617-496-1027

 

Modern humans (Homo sapiens) originated in eastern Africa, but they expanded at the expense of Neanderthals and other ancient hominid populations. What was the reason for their global colonization? Recent data from the area surrounding Africa's Lake Victoria (the largest tropical lake in the world) suggest that the study of volcanic eruptions, climate change, and technological innovation may reveal what fueled human dispersals westward across the tropical African continent some 50,000 years ago.

See also: Africa