Owen Mason received his PhD from the University of Alaska in 1990, and the area’s rich natural and human history have continued to captivate his attention during his time as a research associate for CU’s Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research. Mason studies coastal geomorphology, geoarchaeology and the prehistory of northwest Alaska. He was part of a National Science Foundation-funded project that discovered the first prehistoric bronze artifact ever found in Alaska, which likely originated in Asia. This research is part of Mason’s larger project to study how humans have responded to drastic climatological shifts during previous eras. By turning to the past, he hopes we can better respond to our own future of climate insecurity. Professor Mason’s research shows us that the harsh conditions of inhospitable environments profoundly shape human life. He has published scholarly articles in journals such as the Journal of Archaeological Science, American Antiquity and Evolutionary Anthropology.
