The Archaeology of Climate Change and Understanding Modern Climate and Weather-Related Hazards in the United States

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Thinking of Acronyms: a Kohler Obsession? Papers in Honor of Timothy A. Kohler (TAKO)" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Severe heat waves and droughts are visible manifestations of climate change, and many people associate these events with climate change risks in the US. Drought impacts public health, economies, and quantity and quality of water. Over the past 2,000 years, the southwestern US has experienced several megadroughts. During the megadroughts, some population levels decreased and death rates were high, while other populations persisted and were more resilient. Here we use a large modern US survey dataset (N = 10,038) from 2018–2022 to estimate worry about two hazards – heat waves and droughts – in every county across the contiguous US. We identify areas where residents underestimate ongoing and future climate and weather-related risks. We identify 'hotspots' where projected risks are expected to be high yet perceived risk relatively low. Using archaeological data, we discuss the effects on people in the southwestern US and how people prepared for or responded to droughts. Past adaptations (e.g., sustainable farming practices) to climate change could be reformulated for modern contexts, which could help people take some necessary steps to protect their health and be more resilient against droughts and heat waves. Cultural adaptations and diversity are a key part of human resilience.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Thinking of Acronyms: a Kohler Obsession? Papers in Honor of Timothy A. Kohler (TAKO)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50483