Roundup: September 13, 2017

Almansor Court – 700 S. Almansor, Alhambra, CA.
Social Hour: 5:00 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM

Our Speaker: Robert “Roy” Ritchie
Subject: Warmer Weather in the Southwest?  Nothing New Except a Matter of Degree?

In recent years historians and archaeologists have been creating a new history of Early America, built upon what is known as the Medieval Warming Era, a major European climate phenomenon, long studied in Europe, where it had a significant impact. Only recently have these European studies been applied to  North America, now allowing scholars to reinterpret certain societies such as the Hohokam, Chaco Canyon and Cahokia, all of which played a major role in the American West and beyond. This talk is an introduction to these societies and their contributions to the history of Native Peoples.  

Roy Ritchie is best known to many of us as the recently  retired W. M. Keck Foundation Director of Research at the Huntington Library, etc., a position he held for 19 years (1992-2011). A native of Scotland, he and his family moved continually westward, finally reaching California. After receiving his A. B. from Occidental College and his Ph.D (History) from UCLA, Roy has specialized in Early American history, especially the 17th century. Prior to the Huntington he was in the History Department at UCSD, advancing to Professor, as well as Associate Chancellor.

Factoid:  Why are scientists counting rings in dead trees under water at the periphery of Mono Lake?