Mobile populations and pastoral economies gained prominence within the steppe environments of Central Asia beginning ~2000 B.C.E. Although more geographically limited by environmental parameters, agriculture was also evident during the third and perhaps fourth millennium B.C.E. at a number of steppe sites. Discussion of prehistoric (and modern) subsistence changes and models of the economic transitions within the Central Asian steppes have often invoked explanatory mechanisms such as climate fluctuations or environment degradation resulting from population growth. Multi-disciplinary research involving archaeology and ethnography and climatology has nonetheless been limited within the Central Asian steppes and very few studies have effectively and fully integrated the additional fields of geology and ecology.

In this presentation, three studies of past climate change within Mongolia will be presented. These include examinations of lake productivity and climate histories from high-altitude sites within the Baroon Taiga Mountains, northern Mongolia, lake sediment records of late Holocene climate change in the Khanuy Valley, north-central Mongolia, and stable isotopic analyses of horse teeth collected from Mongolian archaeological sites. Results from these multi-proxy and interdisciplinary studies contribute to the understanding of Central Asian climate change and also provide critical information on the environmental context in which the nomadic pastoral economies of the Central Asian steppes evolved.

Our meetings start at 6:00 pm with a social hour, dinner is served at 7:00 pm and the presentation begins at 8:00 pm. Dinner will cost $25.00/person, dinner for students is $5.00; checks preferred. For this month's meeting, reservations should be emailed to Steve McGuire at smcguire@chesterengineers.com, please title as "PGS Dinner Reservation", by noon, Monday, May 17th. If you are unable to use email, call (412) 809-6723 and leave your name and number of reservations needed. Meeting will be held at the Foster’s Restaurant, Foster Plaza Building 10, 680 Andersen Dr, Greentree. See map for our meeting place. Suggested attire is business casual. Students and guests are welcome, you need not be a member to attend our meetings and its okay to just drop by for the speaker presentation at 8 pm.

Directions:
From Pittsburgh: Parkway West to Green Tree-Crafton Exit. Bear left at exit and left again onto Mansfield Avenue West. Follow Mansfield West to the 2nd traffic light. Turn right onto Holiday Drive and proceed up the hill to Foster Plaza Building 10.

From Airport and I 79: Parkway West towards Pittsburgh, exit at Green Tree-Mt. Lebanon Exit. Turn left onto Greentree Road, make left at 1st traffic light onto Mansfield Avenue West. Follow Mansfield West to the 2nd traffic light. Turn right onto Holiday Drive and proceed up the hill to Foster Plaza Building 10.

Or go to http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&sll=40.440676,-80.007248&sspn=0.127773,0.22007&q=foster%27s+restaurant+and+catering&near=pittsburgh+pa&latlng=40440556,-79996111,5411451826638810477 for a map.