Univ. of Wash. Archaeologist Donald Grayson Wins Desert Research Institute Award, $20,000 Prize.
"
An archaeologist whose research topics have ranged from Neanderthal hunters in France to the ill-fated Donner Party in the Sierra Nevada is the winner of a top research award typically reserved for more narrowly defined sciences.
Donald Grayson, an anthropology professor at the University of Washington for 30 years, is the first archaeologist to win the Desert Research Institute's Nevada Medal in the 18-year-history of the silver medallion and its $20,000 prize.
Past winners have been botanists, chemists, physicists, scientific experts in air quality, water clarity and the evolution of desert landforms.
"Most people stick to one topic or one area. I'm just curious about lots of things. I let my career chase around after questions that interest me," Grayson said Wednesday in a telephone interview from Seattle. In announcing the 2005 award, institute President Stephen Wells called Grayson an international leader in the study of human interaction with the landscape and the use of archaeological data to unravel biological mysteries.
"He's really a pioneer in the world of archaeology bringing those sciences together that go beyond the evolution of a single culture," Wells said.
The author of eight books, Grayson chronicled the natural history of the Great Basin early in his career. He's best known for research suggesting climate change not pre-settlement hunters drove the extinction of wooly mammoths and other large mammals in North America 10,000 years ago.
Grayson's study of the Donner Party confirmed typical mortality rates could accurately predict how many men versus how many women would perish while stranded in the Sierra that winter of 1846.
Since 1995, he's concentrated on a Stone Age site in France studying differences between the earlier Neanderthals and modern humans dating to 65,000 years ago. "
Full story:
ABC News Contributed by:
eCultural Resources
Note: Some links to articles might only be valid for a short period of time depending on the publisher and others might require registration. Please let us know of any errors you find. Thanks!
Directory of cultural resource and historic preservation firms.
William Self Associates, Inc. WSA is a 20-year old full-service CRM firm working in the Far West, Southwest, Intermountain West and adjoining states with offices in San Francisco area and Tucson, Arizona.
California -
11-28-07
SWCA SWCA is one of the largest environmental consulting companies with a focus solely on environmental consulting. Our employee-owned company of cultural and natural resource experts, and planners works for clients in both the public and private sectors.
Arizona -
11-21-07
Statistical Research, Inc. As one of the largest heritage management companies in the world, SRI provides innovative solutions to clients on large, complex, and controversial projects by integrating exceptional scholarship with advanced technology.
California -
08-22-07
Daly & Associates Qualified Architectural Historian with Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation.
California -
04-22-05
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Cultural resource industry events and announcements
