BY KAREN BOSSICK
Learn about the hunter-gatherers at the end of the last Ice Age when the Hailey Public library hosts anthropology professor Charles Speer on Thursday, March 7.
Speer, who teaches at Idaho State University in Pocatello, will talk at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7, via Zoom. Click on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83702946334 to join in.
“Dr Speer’s previous talk in 2021, Peopling the New World, is our most watched video with over 88,000 views and counting so we’re excited to invite him back for another fascinating exploration of North American prehistory,” said Kristin Fletcher, the library’s education and engagement manager. “This time, he’ll unravel ancient techniques like human-generated fire and bison jumps, illuminating manipulation of prehistoric landscapes for survival. He’ll offer insights about how archaeology and advanced analytical techniques have the potential to unlock the secrets of early human mobility and migrations.”
Speer will also explore the mysteries of clovis Period mammoth hunting and the unique behavior of caching stone tools for hunts, Fletcher added: “He’ll discuss how new technology using laser sampling and trace element analysis can help determine the source locations of rocks used to make spear points, knives and other critical tools as well as the different water sources that mammoths may have visited throughout their lifetimes.”
Speer was born and raised in South Texas. He received his PhD from the University of Texas at San Antonio in Ecological Anthropology in 2013. Following graduation, he served as a post-doctoral researcher at Texas State University in the Department of Anthropology and worked primarily with Clovis Period materials from the famous Gault Site. His research focuses on geochemical analysis of knappable stone to determine mobility patterns of prehistoric hunter-gatherers.
Speer’s current work focuses on sourcing Paleoindian and Protohistoric artifacts from the American Southwest. For this research, he finds it integral to engage Native American perspectives as they relate to indigenous knowledge of ecological resources and archaeological findings.
His other research areas focus on interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the Peopling of the New World, lithic technology, experimental archaeology, ancient craftmanship and GIS predictive modeling. He has been an avid flintknapper and prehistoric skills enthusiast for more than 20 years and enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking, and kayaking.