by Peter Rumbles*

One of the most fascinating aspects of studying Antarctica – at least from a historical perspective – is that humans have only been present on the continent for the last one hundred years. While other historians have argued that to study the history of a place, a human presence is needed, Adrian Howkins of Colorado State University believes that the relative absence of human interaction with Antarctica offers a unique historical challenge. In his talk, titled Taylor’s Valley: Researching the Early History of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Howkins examines the environmental history of Antarctica, using evidence provided by the expeditions of Captain Scott and Griffith Taylor from the first decade of the twentieth century. Continue reading →