Events
All Department of Anthropology and UTMAS events are positive spaces and inclusive of everyone.
Upcoming 2018-19 event listings will be posted on this page.
Past Events (2017-18)
The Society for American Archaeology presents
SAA 83rd Annual Meeting
April 11-15, 2018 in Washington, DC
Presentations include:
Gary Crawford and Leping Jiang: The Shangshan Culture and Agricultural Origins
Heather Miller and Gregory L. Braun: Unexpected Expertise: Archaeological Science and the Creative Skills of Indus Craftspeople
David Smith and Daniel Kwan: An Overview of Technological Changes in the Pottery of the Early Holocene Shangshan Culture, Zhejiang Province, China
Visit the SAA Meeting website for more information.
The American Association of Physical Anthropologists presents
AAPA 87th Annual Meeting
April 11-14, 2018 in Austin, Texas
Presentations include:
Esteban Parra: Associations of Fitzpatrick Skin Type with Skin M Index in Diverse Populations
Lauren Schroeder: The role of selection in shaping the cranio-mandibular morphology of Paranthropus; Patterns of Fluctuating Asymmetry in the Human Axial Skeleton; A quantitative genetic approach to assessing hominoid mandibular evolution
David Samson: Hadza hunter-gatherer domiciles provide sleep sites with less overall variation in thermal stress
Visit the AAPA Meeting website for more information.
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
High Tea Exam Destressor
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 from 5:30-7:30pm in IB200
Don’t miss out on the UTMAS High Tea Exam Destressor event next week! Enjoy hot drinks and snacks while facing off against friends and UTMAS executive members in fun board games. We hope to see you there!
The UTM Anthropology Society and the RGASC present
Facilitated Study Groups for ANT101
The group will meet from 5-6pm in DV2094A on the following dates in the Winter 2018 term:
- Wednesday, February 14
- Thursday, March 1
- Wednesday, March 14
- Wednesday, March 28
March Open House at UTM
Sunday, March 25, 2018 from 11am-4pm
Prospective students, parents, and teachers: be sure to visit us at UTM's March Open House! UTM Anthropology representatives can provide you with information about Anthropology HBA and HBSc programs, courses, student activities, and possible career paths.
- Visit the Anthropology SOCIAL SCIENCE table at Deerfield Hall
- Visit the Anthropology SCIENCE table at the Instructional Centre
- Visit the Anthropology Drop-in LAB at Davis Building (11am-3:30pm)
To regsiter, please visit the UTM March Open House website.
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
2018 Field School Information Session
Friday, March 9, 2018 from 2:30-3:30pm in DV3130
Undergraduate students: are you interested in learning more about UTM field schools? UTMAS has organized this information session (as part of the Anthropology Conference) so you can learn more about:
If you'd like to attend the Anthropology Conference please submit the UTMAS Conference Registration Form, or you can just drop by for the Field School session at 2:30!
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
Anthropology Conference at UTM: The World and the People in It
Friday, March 9, 2018 from 10am-4pm in DV3130 Council Chamber
Registration is free. In order to better accommodate your schedule, we are offering the following attendance options:
- Entire day; light breakfast and lunch included
- Morning only; light breakfast included
- Afternoon only; lunch included
See the Anthropology Conference web page for more information on benefits of attending the conference!
This year's conference will feature an information presentation on UTM Field Schools, so if you are interested in hearing more about these courses please make sure to attend the afternoon portion of the conference!
Keynote Speaker:
We are pleased to welcome Cat Criger, Traditional Indigenous Aboriginal Elder, Centre for Student Engagement, UTM as the keynote speaker.
Program:
Download the 2018 Anthropology Conference program (PDF file).
The UTM Department of Anthropology presents
Guest Lecture: Exploring the dimensions of complexity: Hunter-gatherer elaboration at Poverty Point, a Late Archaic site in the Mississippi River Valley
Special Guest Speakers: Tristram R. Kidder & Kelly Ervin
Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis
Thursday, March 1st, 2018 from 3-5pm in DV2094D
The Late Archaic (ca. 4100-3000 cal BP) hunter-gatherers that occupied Poverty Point and related sites in the lower Mississippi Valley accomplished exceptional economic, political, architectural, social, and ceremonial achievements. For example, Poverty Point peoples built elaborate monumental architecture, participated in long-distance trade in lithic raw material, and demonstrated exceptional ritual and religious behavior. At the same time, though, there are no data to suggest permanent leadership, there is limited evidence of social ranking, and neither full-time labor specialization nor storage or surplus accumulation has been documented. How, then, do we account for this remarkable complexity? New research at Poverty Point and related sites provides an opportunity to explore the paradox of leadership in societies that reject rulers, status in societies that reject ranking, and surplus in societies that eschew accumulation.
All are welcome to attend!
Sunnybrook Brain Sciences Rounds
“Wild Nights: Sleep and Human Evolution”
Thursday, March 1, 2018 from 4:30 - 5:30pm
Krembil Foundation Lecture Room, SG22
SPEAKER: David R Samson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga
DISCUSSANT: Dr Brian Murray, sleep neurologist
Learning Objectives:
What does how you sleep have to do with human evolution? Our immune strength, working memory, attention, decision-making, and visual-motor performance all depend on sleep. How then could elders’ insomnia and teenagers’ penchant for staying up late have evolved?
The Archaeology Centre presents
Guest Lecture: The Roots of the Anthropocene: A Case Study from Ancient China
Tristram R. Kidder, Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis
Wednesday, February 28, 2018 from 4-6 PM
The Anthropology Building, 19 Russell Street, Room AP 130
The Anthropocene concept recognizes the dawning of a new geologic epoch–the age of humans—caused by global human transformation of the Earth and its atmosphere. For geologists, the Anthropocene begins with the detonation of nuclear weapons. This characterization, though, tells us nothing of how humans developed the social, economic, technological, and moral capacities that allow us to change nature at a global scale. Archaeological and environmental data from ancient China demonstrate that the Anthropocene developed slowly over thousands of years. In this context, the Anthropocene describes a process where we have changed social, political and even religious practices and behaviors and thus entered a new environmental dynamic with the Earth’s natural systems. This novel relationship is not an abstraction but rather a matter of compelling global concern. To understand the Anthropocene we must grapple with its histories and causes.
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
Valentine’s Day Card and Origami Flower Sale
In-person sales: Feb. 12 - 14 (IB main floor)
Are you ready for Valentine’s Day? If not, do not fear, UTMAS will be selling anthro-themed valentines and origami flowers!
View card designs and submit your pre-orders on the UTMAS website.
The UTM Department of Anthropology presents
Guest Lecture: Yayoi & Epi-Jomon Interaction in NE Japan
Friday, February 9, 2018 at 3pm
IB 377
Please join us for a special guest lecture by Prof. Katsunori Takase of Hokkaido University, Japan.
The Centre for Urban Environments presents
CUE Symposium: The Past, Present and Future of Our Urban Environment
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Location: Communication, Culture & Technology (CCT), 1140 & 1080
Hosted by the newly created Centre for Urban Environments, this symposium will highlight the past, present and future interactions between our city, its residents, and our surrounding environment.
Speakers include UTM Anthropology professor David Smith.
Please visit the CUE symposium web page for detailed itinerary and RSVP information.
The American Anthropological Association presents
2017 Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association
Wednesday, November 29 - Sunday, December 3
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
Washington, DC
The 2017 Annual Meeting will focus on why Anthropology Matters!
UTM Anthropology faculty presenting at the 2017 conference:
- Agency, recruitment and sovereign power: Ejecting protestors at Trump campaign rallies
- Language in the Era of Donald Trump
- Time of Monsters
- Zuma, Trump, Brexit: What Theory from the South Can Tell Us
- Kenya's new missionaries. Yoga and wellbeing as development
- Of Bodily and Anthropological Matters: Self-Improvement in the Age of Wellness
James Stinson, Sessional Lecturer (Winter 2018):
- Seeing Like a Geek: Parks Canada, Google Trekker, and the Ambivalence of Nature 2.0
For more information including program and registration details, please visit the AAA Annual Meeting website.
The Department of Anthropology at Trent University presents
Public Lecture: Wild Nights: Sleep and Human Evolution
Thursday, November 30, 2017 from 5:10-7:00pm
Room 121, Trent University Durham, Oshawa
Guest Speaker: David Samson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga
What does how you sleep have to do with human evolution? Our immune strength, working memory, attention, decision-making, and visual-motor performance all depend on sleep. How then could elders’ insomnia and teenagers’ penchant for staying up late have evolved?
Find out at this free public lecture by sleep anthropologist David Samson, whose work has been featured on the BBC, Time, the New York Times, New Scientist, and the CBC. Dr. Samson describes his research using pioneering, non-invasive technology to study sleep across human cultures and primate species to answer evolutionary questions.
All Welcome!
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
ROM Friday Night Live: "Chic"
Friday, November 24, 7:00 - 11:59 pm
Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto
Please note that this is a 19+ event. Photo ID and Student ID are required for entrance.
UTMAS will be selling discounted tickets for the Royal Ontario Museum's Friday Night Live event on November 24th! The theme is "Chic", in celebration of the Christian Dior exhibit. Tickets are $13 for entrance into the event and galleries, and food and drink vouchers will be sold on site.
Contact us or visit UTMAS during office hours if you are interested in getting tickets!
Read more about the ROM's Friday Night Live event.
The Centre for Ethics at the University of Toronto presents
The Ethics of Food
Monday, November 20, 2017 from 2-4pm
Location: Centre for Ethics, Room 200, Larkin Building, Toronto
How are ethical perspectives brought to bear on food production, consumption, and disposal?
Panelists:
- Stephen Scharper, UTM Anthropology
- Matthew Feinberg, Rotman School of Management
- Tammara Soma, Food Systems Lab
Visit the Centre for Ethics event page to register or for more information.
The Ontario Archaeological Society presents
2017 Annual OAS Symposium
November 17-19, 2017
Best Western Brantford Hotel and Conference Centre, Brantford, Ontario
For more information including program and registration details, please visit the OAS Annual Meeting web page.
The Georgian Triangle Lifelong Learning Institute (GTLLI) presents
Inside Archaeology: Tracing our Complex Past
October and November 2017 Lecture Series in Collingwood, Ontario
Professor Gary Crawford will deliver a series of fascinating lectures on an array of topics including the origins of art and agriculture. The Inside Archaeology series is taking place in beautiful Collingwood, Ontario as follows:
- October 13: The Birth of Humanity
- October 20: Who Discovered the Americas?
- October 27: Origins of Art
- November 3: The Jomon of Japan: The Most Successful Culture in History?
- November 10: Dawn of Farming in Ancient China
- November 17: Origin of Maize Farming in Ontario
More information is available on the GTLLI website.
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
Anthropology Graduate School Information Session at UTM
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
from 10:00 -11:30 am
Location: DV2045 Teaching Lab
(enter through DV2047V)
Are you thinking about pursuing graduate studies in Anthropology? Don't miss out on this informative session featuring Anthropology graduate faculty members!
Graduate faculty members speaking at this session:
Online grad school resources:
- UTM Career Centre: Applying to Graduate School
- UTM Career Centre Tip Sheets
- UTM Experiential Education Office: Tips for Students
If you have any questions about the Grad School Information Session, please email anthropology@utmsu.ca.
The Canadian Association for Physical Anthropology presents
CAPA / ACAP 45th Annual Meeting
October 25–28, 2017
Hosted by University of Alberta
Matrix Hotel, Edmonton, Alberta
UTM Faculty presenting at the meeting:
Tracey Galloway: Symposia:
- Knowledge Translation in Anthropological Health Research: Odysseys from Evidence to Effect
- Biosocial Perspectives on Growth, Development and Parental Investment
David Samson: Contributed Papers: Humans on the Landscape
Lauren Schroeder: PASC Symposium: Exploring the Limits of the Discipline: Defining PaleoAnthropological Research
For more information including program and registration details, please visit the CAPA Annual Meeting web page.
The UTM Anthropology Society (UTMAS), the Department of Visual Studies Student Society (DVSS), and the Historical Studies Society (HSS) present
Student Trip to Art Gallery of Ontario
Friday, October 27, 2017 from 1pm (bus departs UTM) to 5:30pm (bus departs AGO)
Featuring:
Filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro's "At Home With Monsters" exhibit ("revealing his influences, from the Medieval era to contemporary culture, and his particular obsession with horror, fantasy and the rich heritage of the Victorian era")
AIMIA Photography Prize exhibit ("to recognize the best in Canadian and international contemporary photography")
Mark Lewis: Canada exhibit ("a filmic meditation on the idea that is Canada, staging encounters between the camera and the built and natural environments")
Ticket Sales:
Tickets are $13 each and may be purchased from the societies involved during office their office hours. View UTMAS office hours.
Free Transportation:
A free bus service will take students to and from the gallery. The bus leaves IB from UTM at 1pm and leaves the AGO at 5:30pm.
For more information, please send an email to anthropology@utmsu.ca.
The UTM Anthropology Society in partnership with the UTM Students' Union present
Halloween Events on Campus (student volunteers needed!)
UTMAS is partnering with UTMSU to bring you the Haunted Carnival on Monday, October 23 at 11am, and the Haunted House on Wednesday, October 25 at 7pm. Both events will take place at the Student Centre!
Student volunteers are needed for these fun events as follows!
October 23rd:
Tabling for the Haunted Carnival (10am-3pm)
October 24th:
Setting up for the Haunted House (all day)
October 25th:
Setting up and Actors for the Haunted House (6pm-10pm)
UTMAS presents a wide variety of fun and inclusive events throughout the year. Participating in activities beyond the classroom can help you gain experience, skills, and new contacts!
If you want to help out please send an email to anthropology@utmsu.ca with your availability!
Visit Anthropology at UTM's Fall Campus Day Event
Sunday, October 22, 2017 from 11am-4pm
Instructional Centre (IB) main floor
Prospective students, parents, and teachers: be sure to drop by the Anthropology table at the Instructional Centre building during the UTM Fall Campus Day event on Sunday, October 22nd from 11am-4pm!
- Program representatives at IB will have lots of information available about Anthropology HBA and HBSc programs and possible career paths.
- Visit our drop-in Anthropology lab (DV2045) in the William G. Davis Building to see where Anthropology classes are held.
- Attend a Social Sciences Information Session at 11:30am or 1:30pm in IB110 to learn more about programs including Anthropology.
Registration is required for Fall Campus Day.
Visit the UTM Fall Campus Day webpage for more details and registration information.
The Department of Anthropology at Trent University presents
Public Lecture: Recent Developments in Understanding Early Agriculture in the Lower Yangtze Valley, China
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 from 7-9pm
Room 115, Gzowski College, Trent University
Peterborough, Ontario
Guest Speaker: Gary Crawford, Professor of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga
Early agriculture in the Lower Yangtze Valley, China is relatively unique because of its focus on aquatic habitats. This is challenging how we think about agricultural origins because most models are concerned with dry field/rain fed agriculture. Dr.Crawford's team has been collaborating with local, Chinese archaeologists to figure out what was happening here. He will focus on what they have been learning about the Shangshan Culture (11,000-8400 yrs ago) that, at least superficially, appears out of nowhere with the most sophisticated pottery technology in the world at the time and in an upland region that was not part of anyone’s thinking about early agriculture until recently.
Professor Gary Crawford is an anthropological archaeologist specializing in environmental archaeology and archaeological botany.
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
UTM Anthropology Society Executive Elections
Anthropology undergrads: log in to U-elecT to vote from Monday, Sept.25 to 5pm on Thursday, Sept.28!
UTMAS is holding elections for several executive positions in the society.
Voting information:
All full-time and part-time undergraduate students enrolled in Anthropology (specialist, major and/or minor) programs or the Forensic Anthropology specialist program are automatically members of UTMAS and are eligible to vote in the society's elections.
Results will be announced on the UTMAS website.
The Department Anthropology, University of Toronto Anthropology Colloquium Series presents
From the Dog Days to the Rez: A Piikani Archaeologist Searches for the Roots of his Culture
Eldon Yellowhorn, BA, BSc (University of Calgary); MA (Simon Fraser University); PhD (McGill University)
Dept. of Archaeology and the Dept of First Nations Studies at Simon Fraser University
Friday, Sept 22, 2-4 pm, AP 246, 19 Russell St., Toronto
Abstract: Studying Piikani culture, which is one branch of Niitsitapi (Blackfoot people), has been my main focus since my early days in graduate school. I was always motivated by wanting to learn more about the continuum of Piikani history beginning in the Dog Days, then the Horse Days, the end of the Buffalo Days and the onset of the reserve days. Advancing the goals of my historical archaeology research means triangulating the data from archival, oral history and material culture sources to gain insights about the early reserve days after 1880. Through the course of my career I have also examined Blackfoot oral narratives to better understand their archaeological manifestations. Having done so I can now apply absolute dates to some Blackfoot myths and I can organize them in chronological order. The goal of my research is to construct a new Blackfoot history since ancient times.
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
Meet & Greet with Anthropology Faculty - Speed Dating Style!
Confirmed date: Tuesday, September 19, 2017 from 3-5 pm in Spigel Hall, Davis Building (down the hall from the Bookstore)
Would you like to get to know more about your Anthropology professors? Get ready for the first UTMAS event of the year, including:
- 30 minutes of "speed dating " (each conversation lasts 2-5 minutes) – students can learn more about faculty research, travels, and general interests
- an hour of general mingling and casual conversation
- light refreshments will be provided at the event
No registration required; this is a drop-in event!
The UTM Anthropology Society presents
UTM Anthropology Society Executive Elections: Interested in applying as a candidate?
UTMAS is holding elections for several executive positions in the society. The deadline to apply is this Saturday, September 16th at 5pm!
All positions are CCR approved, provide you with good experience and stronger connections with those in the field of anthropology!
Candidate eligibility:
Candidates must either be in an anthropology subject POST or have the intentions to be (only applies for first-year students), no experience required.
How to Apply as a Candidate:
Send the following information to UTMAS by 5pm this Saturday, Sept. 16th:
- your name, year of study, and subject POST
- the position(s) you are interested in running for
- a brief statement (100 words) indicating why you are interested/eligible for the positions(s)
Positions Available:
- Events Coordinator- responsible for the logistical bookings and arrangements for events (not responsible for planning all events)
- Communications Officer- responsible for all paths of communication with the general UTM student body through email and social media
- Treasurer/ Secretary- responsible for recording all meetings, budgeting (with president and vice-president), payments and year end audits
- Year Reps (1 first year, 1 second year and 2 third/ fourth year)- responsible as the liaison between the society and the students they represent, updating both the students and the society on events and any foreseen issues
NOTE: All executive members are expected to attend the majority of weekly/biweekly meetings (time and date to be decided based on availability) and hold regular office hours. Each member is responsible for planning and executing one event through the year.