Science author to discuss icescape archaeology with Montana State professor on Oct. 24

BOZEMAN - A Montana State University archaeologist whose work is featured in a new book about glaciers, ice patches and the artifacts preserved in them will join the book's author for a discussion at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Country Bookshelf in downtown Bozeman.

The event is free and open to the public, and attendees are asked to register in advance at www.eventbrite.com/e/1038435798427.

In "The Age of Melt: What Glaciers, Ice Mummies and Ancient Artifacts Teach Us about Climate, Culture and a Future without Ice," author Lisa Baril writes that thousands of organic artifacts are emerging from patches of melting ice in mountain ranges around the world, including the North American Rockies.

She includes in her text a vignette regarding the identification of a particularly ancient weapon recovered in 2007 from a Rocky Mountain ice patch by Craig Lee, now an assistant professor in MSU's Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Letters and Science. Climate and environmental scientist Joseph R. McConnell highlighted Lee's find in a Nature.com review of Baril's book earlier this month.

McConnell notes that Lee's recovery of a portion of a 10,300-year-old atlatl was significant because it is the oldest artifact yet found in an ice patch and because, "layers of ice had been added to the patch throughout the past 10,000 years, preserving an unparalleled record of high-elevation climate variability in the Rocky Mountains."

Baril will read from the book Thursday evening before the discussion with Lee, after which both will take questions from the audience. More information is available at countrybookshelf.com.