Gary Crawford
Professor
Department of Anthropology
University of Toronto
Canada
Biography
Prof. Gary Crawford is an anthropological archaeologist specializing in archaeological botany and environmental archaeology. The field is known as palaeoethnobotany or archaeobotany. His current focus is East Asia where he is investigating the origins and intensification of agriculture. Actually, he’s never strayed far from East Asia, having first travelled to Japan in 1974. After working there for many years it was logical to begin focusing on China too, where he began to establish contacts in 1986. He has also investigated human and plant interactions in eastern North America (mainly Ontario and Kentucky with his first field experience being a foray into the wilds of Wisconsin). His work is informed by a comparative approach. The similarities and difference between Eastern North America and East Asia between 10,000 and 1000 years ago are especially intriguing.
Research Interest
Archaeology, agricultural origins, paleoethnobotany, human ecology
