anthropologia

I have a new article coming out in the Journal of Coastal Research (JCR) soon. The article takes a long-term anthropological and archaeological look at the California coast, focusing on the issues of erosion, shoreline loss, sand replenishment, and the whole question of retreat. The photograph of the Oceanside pier (above) is one of a few historical images that I used in the article. I’ll post the preprint and final links once I have them. Here’s the abstract for now:

This paper examines the ongoing challenges that the state of California faces with coastal erosion, sea-level rise, and, particularly, the loss of its sandy beaches. A dominant approach to this problem is beach sand replenishment (or nourishment), often in combination with various forms of coastal armoring. Taking a longer archaeological, historical, and anthropological view of human adaptation along the California coast, this paper reframes contemporary debates about coastal management in general and more specifically about the practice of beach sand replenishment. Issues are explored through a long-term perspective in four parts: (1) a brief anthropological and archaeological overview of human occupation along and adaptation to the California coast; (2) examination of the changes in the 19th and 20th centuries that laid the foundations for current challenges; (3) overview of two case studies that highlight key tensions and debates; and (4) closing discussion that draws from anthropological perspectives on the past and present about potential adaptive pathways and options going forward.

More soon!