Bridging Science and Service: How Archaeologists Address Climate Change

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Bridging Science and Service: How Archaeologists Address Climate Change" at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In 2014, climate change took on a new dimension at the SAA Annual Meeting to include reporting on contemporary impacts on tangible and intangible cultural heritage, alongside more traditional research on human responses to past climate change. Since then, climate change discussions have featured the demands of immediate response, prioritization, and communication on our practice. This session focuses on the practicalities of bridging science and service in climate change-related work. In addition to conventional research responsibilities, archaeologists must familiarize themselves with the impediments and opportunities of legislation and funding streams, reframe teaching content to prepare students for a rapidly changing field, communicate with the public and other scientists, and consider how all of this will shape future responses to the on-going climate crisis. Presenters will emphasize the integration of science and service, demonstrating how archaeologists advance the discipline by bringing knowledge and practice to address the realities of climate change.