Professor Lynne Schepartz: Collections Designated Campus Colleague; Paleontology Collections Manager (Retired); University of Arizona Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill
Monday, September 21st, 2026: 3:00 – 4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom
Talking and thinking creatively are defining features of human languages; symbols are the building blocks of language. We use them to construct our world internally (that is thinking) and then use them externally to communicate our thoughts to others. We elaborate our ideas through technological innovations, artistic expressions, rituals, and constructing identities and social histories.
How did we acquire language and our symbol-based mode of thinking? Can archaeological discoveries help us to understand the minds of our ancestors? In this lecture by Dr. Lynne Schepartz, we will explore the deep origins of human language and the products of prehistoric minds, including solving problems and constructing our social lives. We will examine the development of the behaviors that shape our lives today by discussing early archaeological evidence for symbols.
If you cannot attend the lectures in person, you may attend via Zoom. Click this link for access!