معرفی
Ronald Towner holds key appointments at the University of Arizona:
- Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology
- Associate Research Professor, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (LTRR)
- Emil Haury Endowed Chair in Archaeological Dendrochronology
With 30 years of experience in western U.S. archaeology across contract, academic, and volunteer settings, he has been affiliated with LTRR for 17 years and teaches courses including Introduction to Dendrochronology and Prehistory of the Southwest.
His research centers on dendroarchaeology with emphasis on Navajo archaeology and ethnogenesis, Protohistoric/Historic Southwest conflict, 20th-century Western migration, and pastoralism's social consequences. He extends methodologies to Mexico, Chile, and Peru, focusing on environmental reconstruction and historical archaeology.
Recent publications (2010-2016) demonstrate consistent Southwest focus, integrating tree-ring data with archaeological contexts to analyze Navajo land use, historical logging camps, and cultural-environmental interactions. Key journals include Journal of Field Archaeology and Historical Archaeology.
No scientific awards were documented. While specific grants and advisees remain unlisted, his teaching portfolio confirms active graduate/undergraduate mentorship in archaeology and dendrochronology.
As core Archaeology faculty, Towner conducts fieldwork at Zuni Mountains, Dinétah, and el Malpais sites through LTRR, maintaining Bryant Bannister Tree Ring Building offices.
