Steven Falconer

Steven Falconer

Professor Emeritus,
School of Human Evolution and Social Change
  • STEVEN.FALCONER@asu.edu
  • Phone: 480-965-8226
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  • ANTH 102 TEMPE, AZ 85287-2402
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Long Bio

Steve Falconer specializes in the prehistory and history of Southwestern Asia and the Mediterranean Basin, focusing on the growth and dissolution of complex societies. His current research concentrates on villages and household economies in early urbanized societies and the impacts of agrarian systems on ancient landscapes. He has directed multidisciplinary research projects at a series of four Bronze Age villages along the Jordan Rift in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the American Center of Oriental Research, Amman.

This research has been funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Australian Research Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Geographic Society and the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. Falconer has inaugurated new field research on Bronze Age village life on Cyprus (with Patricia Fall) in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute, Nicosia.

Falconer is one of five ASU principal investigators on a recently-awarded $1.5 million National Science Foundation Biocomplexity grant to study Neolithic and Bronze Age land use and landscape formation in the Mediterranean Basin. Falconer has served as a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at New York University, Research Fellow at La Trobe University (Melbourne) and the Australia National University (Canberra) and Visiting Scholar at the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (Nicosia).

Education

Ph.D. University of Arizona

Research Interests

Research Projects:

Ancient Rural Ecology and Landscape Formation on Cyprus

Archaeology and Environment of the Dead Sea Plain

Bronze Age Village Life and Rural Ecology on Cyprus: Excavations at Politiko Troullia

Mediterranean Landscape Dynamics

0in;background:white">SHESC Themes: Urban Societies

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text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:
0px">Field Specializations: Agrarian Societies, Archaeology, Complex Societies, Landscape Formation, Urban-rural Relations,

0in;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-variant-ligatures: normal;
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text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:
0px">Regional Focus: Asia (Southwest), Eastern Mediterranean, Near East

Publications
  • Falconer, Steven E. and Charles L. Redman. Polities and Power: Archaeological Perspectives on the Landscapes of Early States. (2009).
  • Falconer, Steven E. and Charles L. Redman. The Archaeology of Early States and Their Landscapes. Polities and Power: Archaeological Perspectives on the Landscapes of Early States (2009).
  • Falconer, Steven E. and Patricia L. Fall. Settling the Valley: agrarian settlement and interaction along the Jordan Rift during the Bronze Age. A Timeless Vale: Archaeological and Related Essays on the Jordan Valley (2009).
  • Falconer, Steven E. and Stephen H. Savage. The Bronze Age Political Landscape of the Southern Levant. Polities and Power: Archaeological Perspectives on the Landscapes of Early States (2009).
  • Fall, P.L., S. E. Falconer, M. Horowitz, J. Hunt, M. C. Metzger & Derek Ryter. Bronze Age settlement and landscape of Politiko Troullia, 2005-2007. Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (2008).
  • Falconer, Steven E. The Middle Bronze Age. Jordan: An Archaeological Reader (2008).
  • Falconer, Steven Edward, Fall, Patricia L. Bronze Age Rural Ecology and Village Life at Tell el-Hayyat, Jordan. (2007).
  • Falconer, Steven Edward (Author) ,Fall, Patricia (Author) ,Jennifer, Jones (Author) . Life at the foundation of Bronze Age civilization: agrarian villages in the Jordan Valley. Crossing Jordan: North American Contributions to the Archaeology of Jordan (2007).
  • Fall, Patricia L,Falconer, Steven Edward,Edwards, Phillip C. Living on the edge: settlement and abandonment on the Dead Sea Plain. Crossing Jordan: North American Contributions to the Archaeology of Jordan (2007).
  • Savage, Stephen H (Author) ,Falconer, Steven Edward (Author) ,Harrison, Timothy (Author) . Early Bronze Age city states of the southern Levant: neither cities nor states. Crossing Jordan: North American Contributions to the Archaeology of Jordan (2007).
  • Mayer, Gary, Sarjoughian, Hessam, Allen, E., Falconer, Steven, Barton, C. Simulation Modeling for Human Community and Agricultural Landuse. (2006).
  • Steven Falconer, P Fall, T Davis, M Horowitz, J Hunt. Initial archaeological investigations at Politiko Troullia. Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (2005).
  • P Edwards, Steven Falconer, P Fall, A Ariotti, T Swoveland. Archaeology and Environment of the Dead Sea Plain: Preliminary results of the third season of investigations by the joint La Trobe University/Arizona State University Project. Annual of the Department of Antiquities, Jordan (2004).
  • Steven Falconer, Patricia Fall, Mary Metzger, Lee Lines. Bronze Age rural Economic transitions in the Jordan Valley. Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research (2004).
  • Fall, P L (Author) ,Falconer, Steven Edward (Author) ,Lines, L (Author) ,Metzger, M C (Author) . Environmental impacts of the rise of civilization in the southern Levant. The Archaeology of Global Change: The Impacts of Humans on Their Environment (2004).
  • Fall, Patricia L,Falconer, Steven Edward,Lines, L,Metzger, M C. Environmental impacts of the rise of civilization in the southern Levant. The Archaeology of Global Change: The Impact of Humans on Their Environment (2004).
  • S Savage, Steven Falconer. Spatial and Statistical Inference of Late Bronze Age Polities in the Southern Levant. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (2003).
  • P Edwards, Steven Falconer, P Fall. Excavation and Survey at Dhahrat adh-Dhra' & Qasr al-Bulayda. Munjazat (2002).
  • P Edwards, T Swoveland, M Westaway, Steven Falconer, Patricia Fall, I Berelov, J Czarzasty, C Day, J Meadows, C Meegan, G Sayej. Archaeology and Environment of the Dead Sea Plain: preliminary results of the second season of investigations by the joint La Trobe University/Arizona State University project. Annual of the Department of Antiquities, Jordan (2002).
  • P Fall, Steven Falconer, L Lines. Agricultural Intensification and the secondary products revolution in the Southern Levant. Human Ecology (2002).
  • P Edwards, Steven Falconer, P Fall. Excavation at Dhahrat adh-Dhra. Munjazat (2001).
  • P Edwards, Steven Falconer, P Fall, I Berelov, C Davies, J Meadows, C Meegan, M Metzger, G Sayej. Archaeology and Environment of the Dead Sea Plain: Preliminary results of the first season of investigations by the joint La Trobe University/Arizona State University Project. Annual of the Department of Antiquities, Jordan (2001).
  • Steven Falconer, P Fall, J Jones. The Jordan Valley Village Project: Excavations at Tell Abu en-Ni'aj. American Journal of Archaeology (2001).
  • Steven Falconer, P Fall, J Jones. The Jordan Valley Village Project: Recent Excavations at Early Bronze IV Tell Abu en-Ni'aj. Occident & Orient (2001).
  • Steven Falconer, P Fall, P Edwards. Zahrat adh-Dhra. American Journal of Archaeology (2001).
  • . . The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land (2001).
  • Falconer, Steven Edward. The Middle Bronze Age of Jordan. The Archaeology of Jordan (2001).
  • . . Review of: Household and State in Upper Mesopotamia:Specialized Economy and the Social Uses of Goods in an Early Complex Society (2000).
Research Activity
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. Bronze Age Village Life and Landscape Dynamics at Troullia Cyprus. NSF-SBE(8/15/2010 - 7/31/2015).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. Bronze Age Village Life During Urban Collapse at Tell Abu en-Ni'aj, Jordan. SEMITIC MUSEUM(5/15/2007 - 6/30/2011).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. Bronze Age Rural Ecology on Cyprus: Excavations at Politiko Troullia. NSF-SBE(8/1/2006 - 7/31/2009).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. Ancient Rural Ecology and Landscape Formation on Cyprus. NATL GEOGRAPHIC SOC(5/1/2005 - 8/31/2008).
  • Barton,C Michael*, Arrowsmith,Ramon, Clark,Geoffrey Anderson, Falconer,Steven Edward, Fall,Patricia L, Redman,Charles L, Sarjoughian,Hessam Seyed, Sarjoughian,Hessam Seyed, Wentz,Elizabeth Ann. Land-Use and Landscape Socioecology in the Mediterranean Basin. NSF-ENG-BCS(8/15/2004 - 9/30/2010).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. BRONZE AGE RURAL ECOLOGY AND VILLAGE STRUCTURE AT TELL EL-HAYYAT, JORDAN. SEMITIC MUSEUM(4/30/2003 - 1/1/2007).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. LONG-TERM AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON THE DEAD SEA PLAIN, JORDAN. WENNER-GREN FDN(12/2/1999 - 12/1/2000).
  • Fall,Patricia L*, Falconer,Steven Edward. PALEOENVIRONMENT OF THE DEAD SEA PLAIN, JORDAN. NATL GEOGRAPHIC SOC(12/1/1999 - 12/31/2001).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. ARCHAEOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE DEAD SEA PLAIN. AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL(11/1/1999 - 12/31/2003).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. RURAL RESPONSES TO EARLY URBANISM: VILAGE ECONOMY AND ECOLOGY IN THE JORDAN VALLEY. NSF-SBE(9/15/1999 - 12/31/2003).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*, Fall,Patricia L. RURAL RESPONSES TO EARLY URBANISM: VILLAGE ECONOMY & ECOLOGY IN THE JORDAN VALLEY. NSF-SBE(9/15/1996 - 8/31/1999).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*. RURAL LIFE DURING URBAN COLLAPSE AT TELL ABU EN-NIAJ, JORDAN. NATL GEOGRAPHIC SOC(5/1/1996 - 6/30/1998).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*. RURAL VILLAGE LIFE FURING URBAN COLLAPSE AT TELL ABU EN-NI'AJ, JORDAN. WENNER-GREN FDN(5/1/1996 - 6/30/1998).
  • Falconer,Steven Edward*. BRONZE AGE RURAL ECOLOGY & VILLAGE STRUCTURE. NEH(7/10/1992 - 12/31/1994).
Presentations
  • Falconer, S.E. Bill Dever and the Early Bronze IV Conundrum. Annual Meetings of the American Schools of Oriental Research (Nov 2011).
  • Falconer, S.E. and Fall, P.L. Excavations at Politiko-Troullia, Cyprus. Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute/Dept. of Antiquities Symposium on Cyprus (Jun 2011).
  • Falconer, S.E. and Fall, P.L. Temples, towns, and village life in Bronze Age Jordan. Invited lecture for British Western Sovereign Base Archaeological Society (Jun 2011).
  • Falconer, S.E. and Fall, P.L. Politiko-Troullia, Cyprus: Bronze Age Industry and Landscape. Annual Meetings of the American Schools of Oriental Research (Nov 2010).
  • Falconer, S.E. Counternarratives and Counterintuition: Accommodating the Unpredicted in the Archaeology of Complexity. Annual Meetings of the American Anthropological Association, (Nov 2010).
  • Falconer, S.E., Fall, P.L., and Soto-Berelov, M. An Integrated Study of Paleoenvironmental and Archaeological Settlement Change along the Jordan Rift. 11th International Conference on the History and Archaeology of Jordan (Jul 2010).
  • Falconer, Steven E. and Patricia L. Fall. Archaeological and Landscape Studies at Politiko-Troullia. Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute/Department of Antiquities, Cyprus Symposium on the (Jun 2010).
  • Falconer, Steven E. and Patricia L. Fall. Bronze Age Agrarian Life and Landscape at Politiko-Troullia. Annual Meetings of the American Schools of Oriental Research (Nov 2009).
  • Falconer, Steven E. and Patricia L. Fall. Settlement and landscape at Politiko-Troullia. Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute/Department of Antiquities, Cyprus Symposium on the (Jun 2009).
  • Falconer, S.E. and P.L. Fall. Agrarian Settlement and Landscape at Politiko-Troullia, Cyprus. Invited lecture at the Western British Sovereign Base, Akrotiri, Cyprus (Jun 2009).
  • P. Fall & S. Falconer. Agrarian life and landscape at Politiko Troullia. Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute-Department of Antiquities, Cyprus (Jun 2008).
  • Falconer, S.E. and P.L. Fall. Agrarian life and Bronze Age landscape change in Cyprus. Invited lecture at the Western British Sovereign Base, Akrotiri, Cyprus (Jun 2008).
  • Soto, Mariela, Fall, Patricia, Barton, C, Falconer, Steven, Sarjoughian, Hessam, Arrowsmith, Ramon. Land Cover Change in the Southern Levant: 1973 to 2007. ASPRS Southwest Technical Conference (Mar 2007).
  • Dimaggio, E, Arrowsmith, J, Sarjoughian, H, Fall, P, Falconer, Steven, Ullah, I, Barton, C. Geomorphic mapping and paleoterrain generation for use in modeling Holocene (8000-1500 yr) agropastoral landuse and landscape interactions in southeast Spain. American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, GC01 Global Environmental Change session (Nov 2006).
  • Falconer, Steven, Fall, Patricia. Agrarian Landscape Change at Politiko Troullia. Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute/Department of Antiquities, Cyprus Symposium on the Archaeology of Cyprus (Jun 2006).
  • Allen, Eowyn, Falconer, Steven, Barton, Michael, Sarjoughian, Hessam, Fall, Patricia. Modeling of agropastoral human activities using agent-based simulation. Society for American Archaeology, 70th Annual Meeting (Apr 2006).
  • Barton, C, Sarjoughian, Hessam, Mitasova, Helena, Arrowsmith, Ramón, Falconer, Steven, Fall, Patricia. Modeling long-term landscape dynamics and the emergence of intensification. Society for American Archaeology, 70th Annual Meeting (Apr 2006).
  • Berelov, Ilya, Falconer, Steven, Fall, Patricia. Environment and Abandonment at Zahrat adh' Dhra', Jordan. Society for American Archaeology, 70th Annual Meeting (Apr 2006).
  • Falconer, Steven. Urban-rural dynamics in ancient Jordan. Leiden University Conference on the Archaeology of Jordan (Feb 2006).
  • Falconer, Steven, Fall, Patricia. Bronze Age urbanism and ruralism: a comparison of the Levant and Cyprus. Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute/Department of Antiquities, Cyprus Symposium on the Archaeology of Cyprus (Jun 2005).
  • Fall, P, Falconer, Steven. Development of the Mediterranean Landscape of the Southern Levant. Paper presented at the Eleventh International Palynological Congress (Jul 2004).
  • Fall, Patricia, Falconer, Steven. Landscape Formation and rural ecology at Politiko Troullia. Cyprus Annual Symposium on the Archaeology of Cyprus
  • Rempel, Sidney, Soto-Berelov, Mariela, Fall, Patricia, Falconer, Steven. Remote sensing of ancient settlements on the Middle Eastern Landscape. Society for American Archaeology, 71st Annual Meeting
  • Soto-Berelov, Mariela, Fall, Patricia, Falconer, Steven. Landcover change in the southern Levant, 1973-2003. American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Southwest Region 2007 Technical Meeing
Service
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change/Appeals Committee, Committee member (2009 - Present)
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change/Appeals Committee, Committee member (2009 - Present)
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change/Appeals Committee, Committee member (2009 - Present)
  • Archaeological Institute of America, Central Arizona Society, Member, Board of Directors (2005 - Present)
  • Committee on Islamic Studies, ASU Islamic Studies Program, Representative, School of Human Evolution and Social Change (2002 - Present)
  • Committee on Islamic Studies, ASU Islamic Studies Program, Representative, School of Human Evolution and Social Change (2002 - Present)
  • Committee on Islamic Studies, ASU Islamic Studies Program, Representative, School of Human Evolution and Social Change (2002 - Present)
  • Committee on Islamic Studies, ASU Islamic Studies Program, Representative, School of Human Evolution and Social Change (2002 - Present)
  • Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute, Chair, Fellowship Committee (2011 - 2013)
  • Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute, Member, Board of Trustees (2010 - 2013)
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change/Ruppe Prize for Graduate Student Research Committee, Committee member (2010 - 2012)
  • Pera Elementary School, Village of Pera Orinis, Cyprus, Coordinator with School Officials (2011 - 2011)
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Senate, Senator for SHESC (2010 - 2010)
  • School of Huma Evolution and Social Change/Ruppe Prize for Graduate Student Research Committee, Committee member (2009 - 2010)
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Chair, Dean's Advisory Council (Chair 2008/9; member 2006-2008) (2006 - 2009)
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Chair (2006 - 2009)
  • Archaeological Institute of America, Central Arizona Society, Member, Board of Directors (2005 - 2009)
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change,Arizona State University, Chair, Personnel Committee (2006 - 2007)
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change, ASU, Head, Archaeology Subdiscipline (2005 - 2006)
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Member, Personnel Committee (2005 - 2006)
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Member, Personnel Review Committee (2005 - 2006)
  • Antenna TV, Channel 8, Cyprus, Interviewee, Channel 8 Special on Archaeology at Politiko Troullia (2006 - 2006)
  • School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Chair, Archaeology Subdiscipline (2005 - 2005)
  • Department of Anthropology, Arizona State University, Member, Ruppe Prize Committee (2005 - 2005)
  • American Schools of Oriental Research, Member, Committee on Archaeological Policy (1995 - 2004)
  • Department of Anthropology,Arizona State University, Departmental Colloquium Coordinator (2003 - 2004)
  • Archaeological Institute of America, Central Arizona Society, Program Coordinator (1998 - 2004)
  • Arizona State University, Member, University Promotion and Tenure Committee (2002 - 2003)
  • Department of Anthropology,Arizona State University, Member, University Library Committee (2002 - 2003)
  • Arizona State University, Senator, Academic Senate (2000 - 2003)
  • ASU Academic Senate, Senator, Dept. of Anthropology (2003)
  • ASU University Symposium on The War in Iraq: Future Consequences, Invited Speaker (2003)
  • ASU University-wide Promotion and Tenure Committee, Member, Elected Representative from Academic Senate (2003)
  • All Saints' Episcopal Day School, Phoenix, Invited Speaker (2003)
  • University Library Committee, Member, Dept. of Anthropology (2003)
  • Department of Anthropology, Arizona State University, Chair, Personnel Committee (2000 - 2002)
  • Fifth Biennial Meetings of the Complex Societies Group, Tempe, AZ, Chief Conference Organizer (2001 - 2001)
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