JO ELLEN BURKHOLDER

Public Presentations:

Conceiving Motherhood: Cross-cultural perspectives on the feminine, both mortal and divine
This is an archaeological and art historical perspective on females and feminine power from primordial mother-goddesses to ‘queens of heaven’. It explores three particular archetypes based on real and mythical female principles drawn from Andean cultures of South America – the earth mother Pachamama, mother of the sea and guardian of fishes Mamacocha, and the regal, royal consort of mythical kings Mama Coya.

Understanding Gender in the Ancient Andes
Though the world of Latin American cultures today has been strongly influenced by Catholicism, the Pre-Columbian world was something different. This presentation looks at several different examples of how sex, gender, and sexuality were configured in three ancient societies – the Inca who created one of the world’s great empires and stressed gender parallelism, the Moche who we know through their exquisite pottery and murals, and the Tiwanaku, an enigmatic culture in the southern Andes.

A Life of Grace: a biography in three acts
This is a discussion of the life of Grace Burkholder, a free-thinking woman from the Pacific Northwest who became a run-away, a wife, mother and foster mother, a grade school teacher, an adventurer, and a ground breaking archaeologist. Act I: Finding Grace, Act II: Secrets of Grace, Act III: Living with Grace. The story is told by the grand-daughter who followed in her footsteps.

Heritage in Crisis: How global issues are imperiling our precious human past
How do global issues such as warfare, economic development plans, the drug trade, and general inequalities, put the physical traces of the human past at risk? In particular, what threats are posed by the looting and outright destruction faced by the materials and places that help scientists trace the outlines of human history? Can these threats be eliminated, and if so how?

The Essence of Civilization
What makes us civilized? Social scientists have emphasized the levels or degrees of social, political, or economic complexity as signs of progress towards the ‘goal’ of civilization. Humanists on the other hand have stressed achievements in other areas such as arts, literature, and philosophy. In a digital age where art is in the hands of the masses, literacy is increasing but reading is less of a social pastime, and people even in remote mountain villages can be part of the global economy, how do we define what it means to be civilized? More importantly, does it matter?

Other Public Program Ideas: Jo Ellen Burkholder enjoys advising on exhibitions, curriculum development or community grant development, facilitating book discussions, or sharing expertise as part of a panel (for example, as a speaker for a careers program).