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Museum of Anthropology exhibit explores desert water issues


March 10, 2011

The Arizona State University Museum of Anthropology will present “Choosing a Future with Water: Lessons from the Hohokam,” an exhibition exploring the significance of water in the desert metropolis of Phoenix, an area whose population the U.S. Census Bureau estimates will climb from 4.2 to 6.3 million by 2030. Today, Phoenix residents rely on complex infrastructures that deliver water from the Salt, Verde and Colorado rivers. But how long will the water last?

By comparing and contrasting ancient Hohokam examples and modern-day challenges the exhibition presents a long-term view of resilience in the Phoenix valley. Resilience, a central theme of the exhibition, is the capacity to deal with change as we continue to develop. It often involves tradeoffs, because building resilience into certain socio-ecological choices can introduce unexpected consequences. 

What are the choices we must make to ensure water is available in the future? Can our past offer any clues? Visitors will have an opportunity to take part in decision-making exercises illustrating how the interactions between people and the environment produce social and ecological strengths and weaknesses that affect the lives and future of this arid region’s inhabitants. The exhibit will also feature maps, photographs, an artist’s illustration of an ancient Salt River settlement and Hohokam ceramics. 

Based on the research of faculty members in ASU’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change, the exhibition is presented in conjunction with the Second International Science and Policy Conference, Resilience 2011 – Resilience, Innovation and Sustainability: Navigating the Complexities of Global Change. The conference aims to advance understanding of the relationships among resilience, vulnerability, innovation and sustainability by bringing together scientists to share their work on the dynamics of interconnected social-ecological systems.  

The exhibition runs from March 7 to April 15, 2011. Admission is free. The ASU Museum of Anthropology is part of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change in ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It is located at the corner of Tyler and Cady Malls on the ASU Tempe campus. Visitor parking is available in the nearby Fulton Center garage on College Avenue, or in metered parking spaces near the campus.  

For more details on “Choosing a Future with Water: Lessons from the Hohokam,” contact the museum at 480-965-6224, or visit: http://asuma.asu.edu.