Staying Out of Small, Square Holes: The Contributions of Stephen Kowalewski to the Understanding of Human Societies at Regional and Global Scales

Stephen A. Kowalewski is best known for his work in Mesoamerica, especially the full-coverage regional surveys in the Valley of Oaxaca and the Mixteca Alta that have increased our understanding of Zapotec and Mixtec societies. However, his broadly comparative research has advanced understanding of the long-term and diachronic trajectories of multiple societies across the world. In this session we invite fellow archaeologists to gather, reflect upon, and discuss the great intellectual and personal influence that Steve and his work have had on our lives, our work, and our continuous attempts to gain a large scale, “big picture” understanding of the societies and the social phenomena we investigate. The invited papers in this session showcase current research taking place in various world regions with a special emphasis on how Steve's wit and wisdom continue to guide and resonate in our research, our development, and our professional careers.