Definition: American archaeologist Olga Soffer came to archaeology from a diverse background, to say the least. A bachelor's from Hunter College in Political Science and a successful stint in the fashion industry, led her crooked path to modern art, and then the tribal art from whence that came, and to Paleolithic art and finally archaeology. She studied at the City University of New York, receiving a PhD in 1984, and is today a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
Because Soffer's sensibilities are primarily visual and patterned, her papers are surprising and illuminating to what is, to be honest, a relatively stolid profession. Soffer's study of textile impressions at Paleoindian sites such as Meadowcroft Rockshelter is a case in point. Her career has included work at paleolithic sites in central Europe and studies comparing Paleoindian and Paleolithic lifeways.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Because Soffer's sensibilities are primarily visual and patterned, her papers are surprising and illuminating to what is, to be honest, a relatively stolid profession. Soffer's study of textile impressions at Paleoindian sites such as Meadowcroft Rockshelter is a case in point. Her career has included work at paleolithic sites in central Europe and studies comparing Paleoindian and Paleolithic lifeways.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
