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Gideon Hartman is an Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department at the University of Connecticut, where he conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of paleoenvironmental reconstruction, plant and animal eco-physiology, anthropology, and archaeology. His work primarily employs stable isotope methods to reconstruct past environments, human mobility patterns, paleodiets, and ancient economic systems. Dr. Hartman received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2008. His educational foundation in anthropology and archaeological science has enabled his innovative approach to stable isotope analysis. Rather than treating isotopic values as static markers, he investigates the mechanisms causing variability in stable isotope ratios as they move along foodwebs from soil and atmosphere to plants and then to animals and humans. Hartman's research program uniquely begins in the contemporary world to establish principles that can be reliably applied to archaeological settings. His work spans diverse geographical regions including the Eastern Mediterranean, Levant, Jordan Valley, and Armenian Highlands, with temporal coverage from the Middle Pleistocene to the Early Bronze Age. He has made significant contributions to understanding how environmental factors like water availability, temperature, and soil conditions affect isotopic signatures in modern ecosystems, creating robust models for archaeological interpretation. His publication record demonstrates consistent productivity in high-impact journals, with research trends showing increasing sophistication in multi-isotope approaches applied to complex archaeological questions about pastoralism, trade networks, human migration, and human-environment interactions. His work increasingly integrates zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, and geochemical evidence to build comprehensive pictures of past societies. As director of the Stable Isotope Preparation Lab at UConn, Hartman leads a research team that processes and analyzes samples from archaeological sites worldwide. His laboratory serves as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration between archaeologists, anthropologists, geoscientists, and biologists seeking to apply isotopic methods to their research questions. His work has been instrumental in refining methodologies for interpreting strontium, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope data in archaeological contexts, particularly regarding animal and human mobility patterns in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

• Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction
• Stable Isotope Analysis
• Archaeology
• +6 more

Lisa Maher is a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, since 2012. She directs the Geoarchaeology and Southwest Asia Prehistory Laboratory, serves as Curator of Lithic Collections at the Hearst Museum of Anthropology, and is affiliated with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Center for European Studies, and the University of Toronto’s Archaeology Center. Education: PhD in Anthropology from the University of Toronto (2005) Postdoctoral: Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow (2005-2007), Arts and Humanities Research Council of Britain-funded Research Associate (2007-2011) Her research investigates Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherer societies in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, focusing on human-environment interactions, transitions to food production, and landscape archaeology. She explores how climate change, technological innovation, and social networks influenced sedentism, population aggregation, and mortuary practices through material culture analysis. Lisa’s recent publications address meat preservation techniques (2019), hut structures in Southwest Asia and Europe (2019), phytolith evidence for Neolithization (2016), and environmental dynamics in the Levant (2016). These works highlight her expertise in geoarchaeology, lithic analysis, and climate-society linkages over 20,000+ years. Scientific Awards: Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow (2005-2007) Arts and Humanities Research Council of Britain-funded Research Associate (2007-2011) Lisa collaborates with institutions like the University of Toronto, University of Tulsa, and UNLV on projects in Jordan, Cyprus, and Hawaii. She contributes geoarchaeological expertise to regional studies in the Levant, Iran, and Kurdistan, emphasizing interdisciplinary methods and long-term landscape change.

• Lithic Analysis
• Geoarchaeology
• Prehistory
• +6 more

Dr. James Blinkhorn serves as Fieldwork Director of the aWARE Project within the Pan African Evolution Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, Germany. His research spans across West Africa and South Asia, with fieldwork conducted in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, India, and Sri Lanka, focusing on Stone Age sites in diverse ecological settings from rainforests to deserts. Dr. Blinkhorn's research interests center on Palaeolithic archaeology, human evolution, and environmental influences on hominin dispersals. His work examines how early humans adapted to varied landscapes, from the tropical rainforests of Sri Lanka to the arid environments of the Thar Desert. He has made significant contributions to understanding microlith technology, hafting origins, and the relationship between environmental change and cultural innovation during the Late Pleistocene. His publication record reveals a strong focus on comparative studies of Stone Age technologies across Africa and South Asia. A notable trend in his recent work involves examining how environmental variability shaped human technological adaptations across different ecological zones, particularly investigating the relationship between monsoon dynamics and hominin occupation patterns. His research frequently employs interdisciplinary approaches, combining lithic analysis with paleoenvironmental reconstruction to understand human behavioral plasticity. Dr. Blinkhorn actively collaborates with researchers across multiple institutions, including Griffith University, University College London, and The Australian National University. His field-based research spans multiple continents, with particular emphasis on West Africa's role in human evolutionary history and South Asia's importance as a corridor for human dispersals. As Fieldwork Director of the aWARE Project, he leads a substantial research program examining Stone Age sites across four West African countries. His work has contributed to identifying the oldest Middle Stone Age occupation of coastal West Africa and documenting technological continuity in West African archaeological records that challenges simple models of human evolution.

• Palaeolithic Archaeology
• Human Evolution
• Paleoanthropology
• +5 more

Alexandra Schuh is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Human Origins at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, where she has worked since July 2023. Her research integrates evolutionary anthropology with developmental biology to investigate facial bone growth patterns across hominids. Her academic training includes a Ph.D. in Human Evolution from the Max Planck Institute (2016-2020), a Master's in Biological Anthropology and Prehistory from the University of Bordeaux (2012-2014), and a Bachelor's in Cellular Biology and Physiology from the University of Strasbourg and University of Montreal (2009-2012). She also completed a Fyssen postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Bordeaux (2022-2023). Dr. Schuh's research focuses on facial evolution , ontogeny , Neanderthal anatomy , and the cellular and genetic mechanisms of bone modelling . She employs advanced 3D imaging, geometric morphometrics, and bone histology to analyze developmental processes in human and primate facial skeletons, with particular emphasis on comparative studies between modern humans, Neanderthals, and chimpanzees. Her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory in hominid facial development research, combining microscopic bone analysis with evolutionary morphology. Key themes include the evolutionary roots of human facial gracilization, midfacial growth patterns, and the developmental integration of facial structures across ontogeny and phylogeny. Her scientific recognition includes: Fyssen Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021) Poster prize at the 1841st Annual meetings of the Anthropological Society of Paris (2016) Dr. Schuh has secured significant research funding including the FACCTS program award ($25,000, 2023) for skull evolution studies and the Grand Projet de Recherche HUMAN PAST (€5,755, 2022). She collaborates with leading researchers like Philipp Gunz and Shara Freidline on projects examining primate skull development and facial gracilization through the DevCel initiative. As an active member of the Department of Human Origins, she contributes to interdisciplinary efforts integrating developmental biology into paleoanthropological frameworks, advancing methodological approaches in fossil hominin analysis through cutting-edge imaging and morphometric techniques.

• Facial Evolution
• Ontogeny
• Neanderthals
• +4 more

Prof. Katerina Harvati is a Professor of Paleoanthropology at the Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, and Director of the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment. She holds adjunct positions at the University of Bergen and leads interdisciplinary research on human evolution, including Neanderthal biology, modern human origins, and virtual anthropology methods. Her work integrates genetics, morphology, and environmental data to explore hominin dispersals and adaptation. Education: Ph.D. in Anthropology (City University of New York, 2001), Habilitation (University of Tübingen, 2009). Former roles include Assistant Professor at NYU (2001–2004) and Senior Researcher at the Max Planck Institute (2004–2009). Research focuses on Neanderthal paleobiology, primate evolution, and Southeast European paleoanthropology. Fieldwork in Greece has yielded key findings on Middle Pleistocene hominins and megafauna interactions. Her ERC grants include PaGE (2012–2016), CROSSROADS (2017–2022), and FIRSTSTEPS (2022–2028). Awards: Leibniz Prize (2021), Baden-Württemberg Research Prize (2014), Shanghai Archaeology Award (2023) Leadership: ESHE President, Editor-in-Chief of PaleoAnthropology , Co-director of the DFG Centre 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools' Labs/Teams: Senckenberg Centre, Tübingen’s Archaeological Sciences Institute, and collaborations in Greece and Norway. Current projects include the MEGAPAL Survey in the Megalopolis Basin and studies on hominin-environment interactions.

• Paleoanthropology
• Human Evolution
• Neanderthal Studies
• +6 more

Christopher Miller is a Professor of Geoarchaeology at Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen (since 2016) and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Institute for Archaeological Sciences (since 2013). He previously served as Junior Professor of Geoarchaeology (2010-2016) and Acting Head of the Archaeometry Division (2013-2015). His research focuses on site formation processes, archaeological micromorphology, and the role of fire in human evolution, with a particular emphasis on Paleolithic cave sites. Education: PhD (2010): Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Dissertation on Paleolithic cave sites' formation processes and settlement dynamics MSc (2004-2006): University of Maine, Thesis on geoarchaeological settings in the eastern US BA (2000-2004): Boston University, Dual degree in Archaeology and Earth Science Research interests include: Micromorphological analysis of archaeological sediments Geochemical tracing of Paleolithic sites Reconstruction of prehistoric human-environment interactions Development of novel microanalytical techniques for archaeological contexts His recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to site formation processes, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and the application of clumped isotope thermometry in archaeological contexts. He has conducted fieldwork in South Africa, Italy, Germany, and the Levant, focusing on cave systems and open-air sites. As an academic leader, he oversees the Geoarchaeology research group and collaborates with international teams on projects such as the Neolithic Movila lui Deciov settlement and the Swabian Jura Paleolithic sites. His work bridges geochemistry, archaeology, and environmental science to unravel the complexities of human adaptation in prehistoric environments.

• Geoarchaeology
• Paleolithic Archaeology
• Archaeological Micromorphology
• +5 more

Prof. David E. Friesem is an environmental archaeologist affiliated with the University of Haifa and the University of Cambridge. He holds a position at the Department of Maritime Civilizations within the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa, and is also part of the Department of Archaeology and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on human-environment interactions across the Middle Paleolithic to Iron Age periods, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean. He employs geoarchaeological methods, including soil micromorphology, infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis, to study site formation, resource exploitation, and human responses to environmental changes. Friesem is associated with several research institutes, including the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies and the Haifa Center for Mediterranean History at the University of Haifa. His work integrates social and ecological theory to explore cultural transitions and the dynamic interplay between human agency and environmental constraints.

• Environmental Archaeology
• Human-Environment Interactions
• Geoarchaeology
• +3 more

Michael Chazan is a Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anthropology. His research focuses on the Paleolithic periods of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with expertise in lithic analysis, paleoarchaeology, and the history of archaeology. PhD, Yale University (1992) His work explores early human technological evolution, including the transition from Lower to Middle Paleolithic, fire use in Wonderwerk Cave, and lithic technology in the Levant and South Africa. Key projects involve the Holon site (Israel) and Kathu Pan 1 (South Africa). Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding prehistoric subsistence strategies, spatial organization, and dating techniques. Collaborative studies with L.K. Horwitz and others emphasize interdisciplinary approaches. Chazan advises graduate student Sarah Ranlett and postdoctoral supervisee Hilary Duke. His fieldwork teams have conducted significant excavations at Wonderwerk Cave, advancing knowledge of Acheulean cultures.

• Paleoarchaeology
• Lithic Analysis
• History of Archaeology
• +12 more

Dr. Viola C. Schmid is a postdoctoral researcher in the Quaternary Archaeology research group at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAI) in Vienna, with additional teaching roles at the University of Tübingen and University of Vienna. She earned her master's degree in 2013 and completed a binational PhD magna cum laude in 2019 through a joint program between the Universities of Tübingen and Paris Nanterre. Her career includes research positions at the University of Geneva (2019), ÖAI (2020-2021), and Leiden University (2021-2022), before returning to ÖAI in October 2022. Her research explores prehistoric archaeology across Africa and Europe, focusing on human evolution during the Pleistocene. Key interests include: Population dynamics and knowledge transfer in hunter-gatherer societies Technological systems development in Paleolithic and Mesolithic contexts Middle and Later Stone Age site excavations Reanalysis of archaeological collections using modern methods Schmid's publications primarily investigate lithic technology evolution, site formation processes, and Middle Stone Age adaptations in Africa and Europe. Her work frequently employs experimental approaches and interdisciplinary methods to analyze raw material sourcing, tool production techniques, and cultural transitions. Research sites span South Africa (Umhlatuzana, Diepkloof), Senegal (Toumboura III), Austria (Csaterberg), and Germany (Swabian Jura caves). While no scientific awards are documented, she actively contributes to international projects like the South African Middle Stone Age research during MIS 5 and the Peuplement humain et paléoenvironnement en Afrique program. Her grants and students are not specified in available materials. At ÖAI, she collaborates within the Quaternary Archaeology research group, focusing on Pleistocene human-environment interactions. She maintains academic networks through co-authorships with researchers across Europe and Africa, particularly in lithic technology and Paleolithic site analysis.

• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Human Evolution
• Pleistocene Studies
• +6 more

Sheila Dawn Coulson is an Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of Oslo's Faculty of Humanities, affiliated with the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History. Her expertise lies in lithic technology and prehistoric human behavior analysis using the chaîne opératoire method. She has conducted research across multiple continents, with a focus on Botswana's Tsodilo Hills for two decades. She holds a BA (Honours) in Archaeology from Simon Fraser University (1971), an MA in Anthropology from Bryn Mawr College (1974), and a PhD in Prehistoric Archaeology (Lithic Technology) from the University of London (1982). Her research explores stone tool manufacturing processes and ancient human behavior, emphasizing material selection and technological choices. Key projects include the Landscape Archaeology of the Kalahari, investigating hydrological shifts' impact on prehistoric mobility. Publications highlight ritual behavior analysis, mobility patterns, and geochemical sourcing of artifacts in African prehistory. Her work bridges lithic analysis with broader questions of cultural development and environmental adaptation.

• Archaeology
• Stone Age
• Ethnoarchaeology
• +3 more

Dr. Christian Neumann is a paleontological researcher and Section Leader of Invertebrate Palaeozoology at the Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research in Berlin. As Curator of the Palaeozoological Collections, he specializes in Echinodermata, Arthropoda (including amber collections), Bryozoa, Graptolites, and Cretaceous/Mesozoic fossil assemblages. Role : Section Leader & Curator Institution : Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin Email : christian.neumann@mfn.berlin His research focuses on biotic interactions in marine benthic organisms, particularly symbiosis (commensalism, parasitism, mutualism) in deep time. He uses the fossil sea urchin Echinocorys as a model taxon to study parasite-host coevolution, bioerosion patterns, and survival through mass extinctions. His work combines neutron/X-ray tomography with ichnological analysis to reveal hidden symbiotic traces in fossils. Selected publications highlight his expertise in Cretaceous paleoecology, trace fossils (e.g., Oichnus halo ), and interdisciplinary applications like 3D magnetic resonance imaging. He contributes to evolving understanding of symbiotic relationships across geological timescales through studies on echinoid parasitism, bioimmuration in oysters, and fossil assemblages from glacial erratics.

• Paleontology
• Marine Biology
• Symbiosis
• +4 more

Marina de Araújo Igreja is an Auxiliary Researcher at the CIBIO-InBIO (Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos) under the University of Porto , with a focus on stone tool use-wear analysis and Middle Stone Age (MSA) archaeology . She is also associated with the UMR 7269 CNRS laboratory in France. PhD in Archaeology (2005, University of Aix-en-Provence, France) Specializes in use-wear analysis of prehistoric stone tools Key research areas include cultural adaptation , human dispersal , and technological innovation during the MSA and Howiesons Poort phases. Her research bridges lithic technology and environmental interactions , examining how ecological factors shaped subsistence strategies and tool functionality . She employs molecular archaeology and microscopic techniques to study hafting adhesives and microwear patterns . Notable findings include the first molecular identification of Podocarpus resin in MSA contexts. Marina has contributed to 15 peer-reviewed publications (including 10 in high-impact journals like Journal of Archaeological Science and Southern African Humanities ), focusing on technological transitions , organic residue analysis , and cultural evolution . Her work has been supported by grants from FCT , Marie Curie IOF , and international collaborations with institutions in France, South Africa, and Syria. Scientific Awards: FCT Post-doctoral Grant (2006-2012) Marie Curie Individual Fellowship FCT Investigador FCT contract She collaborates with the Diepkloof Rock Shelter excavation team and contributes to understanding regional MSA traditions . Her recent projects explore cultural transmission mechanisms and early modern human adaptation .

• Use-Wear Analysis
• Middle Stone Age (MSA)
• Howiesons Poort (HP) Tradition
• +4 more

August (Gus) Costa is an Adjunct Lecturer in Anthropology & Earth Science at Rice University. He directs the Houston Archaeological Society (HAS) lab and collaborates with institutions like the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Whiteside Museum of Natural History. His teaching emphasizes experiential learning, with courses in Paleo-Technology , Geoarchaeology , and Paleontology . Research Focus : Costa investigates early human settlement in southern Asia, transitional lithic technology in western India, and vertebrate fossil preservation at Gopnath. His work bridges archaeology, paleontology, and earth science, with field programs identifying Ice Age fossil localities and lab revitalization projects for HAS collections. Articles Trends : His publications center on Pleistocene paleobiogeography , lithic technology , experimental archaeology , and human dispersal models . Key themes include coastal refugia, bone technology, and taphonomic processes. Scientific Awards : Fulbright Scholar Grants & Collaborations : Received teaching grants from Rice University to support interactive lessons in experimental archaeology. Collaborates with museums for exhibits like 'Scenes From The Stone Age' and events such as International Archaeology Day. Labs & Teams : As HAS lab director, he revitalized collections facilities at Rice, improving storage, labeling, and online access. Supervises the Katy Mammoth Project, providing field and lab opportunities for students.

• Human Evolution
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Vertebrate Paleontology
• +15 more

Susan Marie Mentzer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences within the Faculty of Science at the University of Tübingen, specializing in geoarchaeology with emphasis on micromorphological analysis of anthropogenic sediments. She leads the Geoarchaeology research group at the Institute for Archaeological Sciences (INA) and is actively affiliated with the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Anthropology with Concentration in Archaeology and Minor in Geosciences from the University of Arizona (2011), an M.A. in Archaeology with Minor in Geosciences from the University of Arizona (2005), and a B.A. in Archaeology and Earth Sciences summa cum laude from Boston University (2003). Her doctoral research focused on the Macro- and Micro-scale Geoarchaeology of Üçağızlı Caves in Turkey. Mentzer's research integrates micromorphology with micro-FTIR and micro-XRF to analyze Paleolithic caves, Neolithic tells, and experimental materials like plaster and wood ash. Her work spans Eurasian Paleolithic sites, African Middle Stone Age contexts, and ritual spaces, with particular expertise in combustion features, site formation processes, and human-environment interactions during the forager-farmer transition. Recent publications demonstrate methodological innovation in analyzing rockshelters, hearths, and stratigraphic sequences across global contexts from South Africa to Anatolia. As an Associate Editor for Geoarchaeology , she contributes significantly to scholarly discourse. Her methodological leadership is evident in developing online teaching strategies during the pandemic, as documented in The SAA Archaeological Record . Mentzer teaches specialized courses including Anthropogenic Deposits and Site Formation Processes, Stratigraphy, Archaeological Micromorphology, and Microanalytics. Her laboratory work involves stable isotope analysis, micro-XRF, and experimental archaeology to reconstruct ancient human behaviors through sediment micromorphology.

• Geoarchaeology
• Archaeological Micromorphology
• Human-Environment Interactions
• +5 more

Marta Arzarello is an Associate Professor in Prehistory and Protohistory at the Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Ferrara (Italy). She serves as Deputy Director of the Department of Humanistic Studies and Coordinator of the Doctorate in Human Sciences and the International Master in Quaternary and Prehistory, both funded by Erasmus Mundus. She has coordinated numerous international projects (FP7, Erasmus Mundus, CNR-CNRST) and acted as EC expert since 2011. Director of over 60 Master’s and 21 PhD theses Director of excavations at Pirro Nord and Ciota Ciara Focus on Middle/Lower Palaeolithic technology, first European peopling, island colonization, and Sahara cultures Her recent publications (2025–2024) span archaeology , anthropology , and lithic technology , addressing topics such as: Neurocranial morphology of Palaeolithic remains Lithic analysis of Lower Palaeolithic sites Diet and subsistence strategies in Palaeolithic Italy Use-wear analysis for tool functionality Early human presence in Western Europe She received the Prix Prince Rainier III de Monaco (2018) for research at Pirro Nord. Her work integrates field campaigns, experimental archaeology, and museum curation to reconstruct human behavior and environmental interactions.

• First European peopling
• Prehistory
• Excavation methods
• +4 more