2022 Theme: Futurisms

All poster presentations should conform loosely to the 2022 theme of the conference, “Futurisms”.

Futurisms:

Bioarchaeologists are well-situated to uncover inequalities and oppressions of the past, many of which are analogous to, or lie at the root of, those that exist today. However, we can also use the tools of the discipline to reveal ways of life and alternative social structures that can be used to imagine a more just, equal, and vibrant future. Such a futurist bioarchaeology may include alternatives to hierarchy and capitalism, roads to racial and environmental justice, and adaptations to climate change that do not exacerbate inequality. It may also involve using our understanding of human biology to unveil potentialities and interacting influences on evolution, development, and health. Finally, to undo some of the past harms done by anthropologists, we may imagine ways to use the resources at our disposal—scientific institutions, education, and cultural heritage—to empower marginalized groups and bolster Indigenous sovereignty and decolonization.

Specific topics could include bioarchaeological evidence for resilient responses to past climate disasters, heterarchical social arrangements, successful integration of disability or biological diversity into societies, creative or cooperative food procurement strategies, microevolutionary adaptation, accounting for nonbinary gender in forensics, and social trends that led to reduced morbidity and mortality; as well as examples of ongoing community-engaged bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology research, and innovative ways to build ethical practices in lab and field research; or any other topics that relate to the theme.