Phillip A. Trella
Entered 1997
trella@virginia.edu
Archaeology
Regional focus: Mesopotamia
My research focuses on the relationship between complex societies and
their ecological environs. In particular, I am interested in the cultural
processes that precipitate shifts from adaptive strategies based on resilience
to those geared toward maximization, and the impact that these changes
have on local environments. Currently, my research is focused on changes
in food production, craft production and resource extraction at the end
of the Early Bronze Age in Upper Mesopotamia (2500-2000 B.C.)-a period
in which many complex, urban-based societies collapsed. My other research
interests include zooarchaeology, climate change, computer applications
in archaeology and human evolution.