Find Academic Supervisors

• Paleoanthropology
• Archaeology
• Human Origins
• +4 more

Dr. Naomi Cleghorn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Texas at Arlington, within the College of Liberal Arts. Her research focuses on human origins and Paleolithic archaeology in Eurasia and Africa, with a particular emphasis on zooarchaeology and biological anthropology. She leads a research project in South Africa examining early human coastal adaptations on the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. Cleghorn holds a PhD from Stony Brook University and has held roles including Associate Chair of Anthropology and Program Director at UTA. Education: PhD, Stony Brook University (2006): Anthropological Sciences MA, University of Texas at Austin (1996): Physical Anthropology BA, University of Texas at Austin (1993): Anthropology Research Interests: Paleoanthropology and human evolution Zooarchaeology and taphonomy Neanderthal and early modern human behavior Coastal foraging strategies Interdisciplinary approaches to ancient ecosystems Awards: Multiple teaching awards including the Academy of Distinguished Teachers (2018) and recognition for contributions to archaeological fieldwork and education. Grants: Principal investigator on NSF-funded projects studying human adaptation to environmental change, including a $25,000 grant for research at Knysna (2015–2018) and a $2 million NSF REU Site grant (2020). Labs/Teams: Director of the Human Origins, Migrations, and Evolution Research (HOMER) program and affiliated with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Coastal Palaeosciences Center.

• Upper Palaeolithic Archaeology
• Lithic Technology and Raw Material Studies
• Human Behavioral Ecology
• +3 more

Dr. Hannah Rohringer (née Parow-Souchon) is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences within the Research Group 'Quaternary Archaeology' since November 2022. Her academic trajectory spans European and Near Eastern institutions, with current research focused on Upper Palaeolithic settlement systems and human-environment interactions. Her educational foundation includes a BA and MA in European Archaeology (Prehistory and Early History) from the University of Cologne (2007-2013), followed by doctoral research on Levantine Upper Paleolithic settlement patterns (2014-2016). Subsequent positions included editorial work at the Rhineland Office for Archaeological Monument Preservation (2017-2019), a Glassman-Holland Research Fellowship at the WF Albright Institute (2019-2020), and postdoctoral research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (2020-2022). Rohringer's research integrates lithic technology, behavioral ecology, and advanced spatial analysis to investigate human adaptation during the Palaeolithic. Her work emphasizes land-use processes, raw material economies, climate change responses, and social dynamics, with significant contributions to understanding the Ahmarian and Aurignacian cultures through innovative methodologies including GIS modeling and 3D reconstructions. She maintains active fieldwork in the Southern Levant and Austria through projects like Kammern-Grubgraben and Krems-Wachtberg. Her publication record reveals consistent thematic focus on lithic technological transitions, site formation processes, and human behavioral responses to environmental shifts across the Levant and Europe. Recent work demonstrates increasing methodological sophistication through quantitative approaches like Hill numbers analysis and predictive site modeling, while maintaining empirical grounding in field data from key regions including the Wadi Sabra and Petra areas. Glassman-Holland Research Fellowship (WF Albright Institute, 2019-2020) Rohringer directs multiple collaborative projects including 'Kammern-Grubgraben' examining Late Gravettian adaptations, 'Krems-Wachtberg' investigating Central European Quaternary sites, and the 'Austrian Quaternary Sites' database initiative. Her fieldwork integrates geological, environmental, and archaeological data to reconstruct paleolandscapes and human settlement systems, with particular emphasis on methodological innovation in spatial analysis and material culture studies. Her research team operates within the Austrian Academy of Sciences framework, collaborating with international institutions including Ben-Gurion University and the University of Cologne. Current projects focus on predictive modeling of Paleolithic sites, 3D reconstruction of activity areas, and database development for Quaternary archaeological sites across Austria.

Florent RivalsView profile

Research Professor

• Paleoecology
• Human Evolution
• Neanderthal Behavior
• +5 more

Florent Rivals is an ICREA Research Professor at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES) since 2013. He holds a PhD in Prehistory (2002) from the University of Perpignan and has conducted postdoctoral research at the American Museum of Natural History (2004) and Universität Hamburg (2005). His work focuses on Neanderthal behavioral ecology, paleoecology, and dental microwear analysis. Education : Biology (undergraduate), PhD in Prehistory (University of Perpignan) Research Focus : Neanderthal diet reconstruction, cave bear dietary evolution, Pleistocene fauna taphonomy His recent publications emphasize multi-proxy paleodietary reconstructions using dental microwear, stable isotopes, and bone taphonomy. Key projects include excavations at Toll and Teixoneres caves in Spain. Scientific Awards 2009 Research Certificate (Catalan University Quality Agency) 2006 Initiative Post-Doc Award (French Académie des Sciences) Grants : Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, COST Action, Palarq, ERC Florent has supervised 7 PhD and 7 Master's theses while contributing to over 170 peer-reviewed publications . He co-directs fieldwork and participates in international collaborations across Europe, North Africa, and the Levant.

Sven IsakssonView profile

Professor

• Biomolecular Archaeology
• Food Culture and Subsistence
• Environmental Change in Prehistory
• +4 more

Sven Isaksson is a Professor of Archaeology at Stockholm University and leads the Archaeological Research Laboratory within the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Cultures. His research focuses on biomolecular archaeology, particularly through lipid and isotope analysis of prehistoric ceramic vessels and anthropogenic soils to reconstruct food culture and subsistence patterns from the Paleolithic to early modern periods. Current research projects include urban defense systems in Viking-age Birka (UNESCO World Heritage), environmental change impacts on coastal societies, and Nordic-Japanese collaborations on prehistoric responses to natural disasters through the CALDERA program. Methodologically, he specializes in organic residue analysis (GC-MS, GC-c-IRMS), MALDI-FT-ICR-MS techniques, and geometric morphometrics for artifact classification. Selected recent publications highlight his comparative studies across Eurasia and Japan on pottery function in mobile vs. settled communities, disaster recovery patterns, and technological adoption dynamics. He has received multiple awards including the 2024 Ben Cullen Antiquity Prize and EU Framework 6 grants for interdisciplinary projects combining archaeological science with environmental and social analysis.

Jeffrey FergusonView profile

Associate Professor

• Archaeometry
• Geochemical Sourcing
• Ceramic Analysis
• +2 more

Jeffrey Ferguson is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Missouri, specializing in archaeometric approaches to precolonial exchange systems. His research employs geochemical sourcing techniques (XRF, NAA) to reconstruct ancient mobility, trade, and technological practices across the Americas, with particular focus on the US Southwest and Caribbean. Methodological expertise includes: Non-destructive chemical characterization of artifacts Ceramic petrography and compositional analysis Lithic provenance studies Statistical modeling of exchange networks Current field projects investigate resource procurement strategies in Ancestral Pueblo communities and precolonial pottery production in Jamaica. His laboratory directs the Archaeometry Lab at MURR (University of Missouri Research Reactor), supporting scientific analysis of archaeological materials.

Peter BellwoodView profile

Professor

• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Human Migration Studies
• Southeast Asian Prehistory
• +3 more

Prof Peter Bellwood is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Archaeology & Anthropology at Australian National University (ANU). He holds a PhD from King's College, Cambridge (1980) and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (1983), Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy (2016), and recipient of the International Cosmos Prize (2021). His research focuses on global prehistoric population migrations, Southeast Asian/Pacific prehistory, agricultural origins, and interdisciplinary connections between archaeology, linguistics, and human biology. Current projects include archaeological fieldwork in Vietnam with Philip Piper and Lam My Dzung, particularly studying the Neolithic transition in north-central Vietnam. Notable collaborations involve investigations into the origins of agriculture in Southeast Asia and the biological foundations of regional populations. Key research themes include: Prehistoric human migration patterns Austronesian language dispersal mechanisms Neolithic agricultural adoption processes Interdisciplinary methods bridging archaeology and genetics Recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize: Archaeogenetic studies of Yellow River migrations Neolithic settlement analysis in Vietnam Language-farming dispersal correlations Global human migration narratives Major awards include: 2021 International Cosmos Prize 2017 Honorary Fellowship (Associazione ISMEO) Advising focuses on Southeast Asian prehistory projects, with active involvement in ANU's The Migration Hub. Ongoing fieldwork in Vietnam's Karama Valley and Red River Delta regions explores early agricultural adoption and settlement patterns.

• Population Prehistory
• Human-Environment Interactions
• Archaeological Modelling
• +3 more

Dr. Marc Vander Linden is an Associate Professor and Faculty Lead for Internationalisation at Bournemouth University, affiliated with the Institute for the Modelling of Socio-Environmental Transitions (IMSET). His research focuses on Holocene Europe, particularly population prehistory, human-environment interactions, and archaeological modelling. He has conducted fieldwork in Belgium, Syria, the UK, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro, emphasizing long-term socio-environmental transitions. His work contributes to UN SDG 13 (Climate Action), exploring anthropogenic impacts and ecosystem dynamics. Key projects include the p3k14c radiocarbon database and transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability. He has secured grants such as the 'Rewriting Early Bronze Age chronology' (Fritz Thyssen Stiftung) and 'Transmission of Innovations: farming practices in Europe' (ERC). Publications: Over 100 articles in journals like Environmental Archaeology , Nature Reviews Genetics , and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . Books: The Bell Beaker Phenomenon in Europe (2024) and Integrating Qualitative and Social Science Factors in Archaeological Modelling (2019). Labs/Teams: IMSET and collaborations with institutions across Europe on Neolithisation and Holocene studies.

W. Andrew BarrView profile

Assistant Professor

• Paleoecology
• Ecomorphology
• Paleoanthropology
• +3 more

W. Andrew Barr is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and CASHP Core Faculty specializing in paleoanthropology, focusing on the environmental context of early human evolution. His research integrates fieldwork in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Koobi Fora with quantitative methods analyzing bovid morphology to reconstruct paleoenvironments. He develops open-source tools like PaleoCore for geospatial data integration in paleoanthropology. Education: PhD (2014), MA (2008) in Anthropology from University of Texas at Austin; B.S. (2005) in Anthropology and French from Tulane University. Research emphasizes ecomorphology, paleoecology, and statistical methods to address gaps in understanding climate's role in hominin evolution. His field projects in Laikipia (Kenya) and Ethiopia's Mille-Logya target late Miocene-Pliocene transitions. Laboratory work employs 3D scanning and functional morphology to study locomotion and diet in recovered fauna. Publications span 20 years, focusing on bovid limb morphology, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and methodological innovations. His work challenges assumptions about habitat proxies and highlights sampling biases in hominin distribution studies. Laboratory contributions include developing PaleoCore software for paleoanthropological data integration. Field projects emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to reconstructing ecological communities and their evolutionary implications.

Paul BreezeView profile

Lecturer

• Climate Change
• Environmental Science
• Human Evolution
• +5 more

Dr Paul Breeze is a Lecturer in Climate Change and Environmental Science at King’s College London, affiliated with the Department of Geography and the School of Global Affairs. His research focuses on hominin dispersals, Quaternary climate dynamics, and desert environments, particularly in Arabia and North Africa. He holds a PhD from King’s College London, an MA in Practical Archaeology (University of Birmingham), and a BSc in Geology and Archaeology. Paul’s work integrates remote sensing, GIS, and field surveys to reconstruct past hydrological systems and environmental contexts for human occupation. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in deserts across Saudi Arabia, North Africa, and Central Asia since 2009, specializing in landscape survey, UAV mapping, and geomorphological analysis. Education: PhD in Geography, King’s College London (2016) MA (Distinction) in Practical Archaeology, University of Birmingham (2007) BSc (Hons) in Geology and Archaeology, University of Birmingham (2003) Research Interests: Dispersals of Homo sapiens and hominins in mid-latitude deserts Palaeohydrology and Quaternary climate change Archaeological prospection using remote sensing and GIS Human-environment interactions in arid zones Publications & Projects: Lead researcher on NERC-funded projects exploring Arabian palaeodeserts and hominin dispersals Co-authored over 45 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Nature , Science Advances , and Quaternary Science Reviews Key contributions to understanding Green Arabia’s role in early human migrations Teaching & Outreach: Lectures on climate change, remote sensing, and environmental geography Course convener at King’s and visiting lecturer at Royal Holloway (2017–18)

• Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology
• Evolutionary Ecology
• Behavioral Ecology
• +4 more

Christopher Morgan serves as Professor of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno, holding the Don Frazier-Don Fowler Endowed Chair in Prehistoric Great Basin Archaeology while also contributing to the Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology program. His internationally recognized research spans the American West, China, Mongolia, and southern Andes, focusing on human adaptations to extreme environments. Education: Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2006 Morgan's research centers on hunter-gatherer behavioral ecology in marginal environments, examining mobility, storage strategies, and settlement patterns through paleoenvironmental reconstruction and lithic analysis. His work integrates evolutionary theory with archaeological evidence to understand sociocultural organization across diverse landscapes including high-altitude regions, deserts, and mountain ecosystems. Methodologically, he combines GIS spatial analysis with field-based cultural resource management approaches to investigate human-environment interactions over deep time. Analysis of Morgan's recent publications reveals consistent emphasis on cross-continental comparative studies of high-altitude adaptations, with growing attention to anthropogenic impacts on fire ecology and paleoenvironments. His collaborative projects demonstrate increasing integration of indigenous stewardship practices into archaeological frameworks, particularly evident in California and Andean research. The geographic scope spans North America, East Asia, and South America, reflecting his commitment to global perspectives on hunter-gatherer resilience. Scientific Awards: No specific scientific awards, prizes, or fellowships are mentioned in the provided text Advising and Grants: Professor Morgan actively recruits Master's and Ph.D. students at the University of Nevada, Reno, seeking candidates with strong archaeological field experience and academic preparation. While explicit grant details are absent, his extensive international collaborations and multi-year field projects across four continents indicate substantial ongoing research funding. His mentorship focuses on developing methodological expertise in paleoenvironmental reconstruction and spatial analysis for investigating prehistoric human behavior. Labs and Teams: Morgan maintains active research partnerships with the National Museum of Mongolia and Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council, though specific laboratory facilities aren't detailed. His collaborative network includes interdisciplinary teams of geoscientists, ecologists, and indigenous knowledge holders, particularly evident in Sierra Nevada fire ecology studies and Andean high-altitude adaptation projects.

• Upper Paleolithic Archaeology
• Quaternary Science
• Site Formation Processes
• +3 more

Marc Handel is an Academy Scientist in the Quaternary Archaeology research group at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAI) in Vienna. His research focuses on human adaptations during the Upper Paleolithic, particularly in Central Europe and Southeast Arabia, examining site formation, stratigraphy, and paleoenvironmental interactions. Education & Career: Geography & Ecology (1993-1996): University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart Technician in Archaeological Sciences (2000-2002): University of Tübingen Research Associate (2005): Prehistoric Commission, Austrian Academy of Sciences Permanent position (2011-present): Austrian Academy of Sciences Research Focus: Upper Paleolithic open-air/cave sites in Central Europe Human adaptation to glacial climate dynamics Landscape development in Southeast Arabia (Paleolithic-Iron Age) Field methodology, stratigraphy, taphonomy, database development Publication Trends: Handel's recent articles (2020-2024) predominantly analyze Gravettian and Epigravettian sites across Central/Eastern Europe, employing geoarchaeological methods (sedimentology, isotope analysis, OSL dating) and lithic/faunal studies to reconstruct site formation processes, subsistence strategies, and cultural responses to Last Glacial Maximum conditions.

• Dental Anthropology
• Dietary Reconstruction
• Life History Documentation
• +4 more

Dr. Sireen El Zaatari is Senior Academic Researcher/Lecturer at the Paleoanthropology Workgroup, Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen. Her research integrates dental anthropology, bioarchaeology, and human osteology to analyze Paleolithic hominin adaptation to climatic variability. Education: PhD (2007), MA (2002) in Physical Anthropology (Stony Brook University), BA (1998) in Archaeology (American University of Beirut) Research focuses on: Dental microwear analysis for dietary reconstruction Climate change impacts on Paleolithic subsistence Lebanon's Paleolithic archaeology (REVIVE project) Human osteology and bioarchaeological studies Lithic technology and ecological adaptation Recent publications demonstrate expertise in: 3D dental topography quantification Comparative hominin ecology Levantine corridor prehistory Neanderthal dietary flexibility Scientific contributions recognized through: €2M+ ERC Consolidator Grant NSF, Leakey Foundation, and Wenner-Gren Fellowships DFG and Synthesys research funding

Steven KuhnView profile

Professor

• Paleolithic Archaeology
• Human Evolution
• Lithic Technology
• +4 more

Steven Kuhn is a Professor in the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on Paleolithic archaeology and human evolution, particularly examining stone tool technologies and their social/ecological contexts. He leads collaborative projects in Serbia, Morocco, China, and the Levant. Kuhn holds a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico (1990) and has been at the University of Arizona since 1994. He has served as a visiting professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2015-2019) and a Humboldt Research Scholar in Cologne (2009-2010). Education: Ph.D., Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 1990 His research interests include lithic technology, hunter-gatherer ecology, and mathematical modeling of cultural evolution. Recent projects investigate Middle Paleolithic assemblages in North China and the Aterian technocomplex in Moroccan sites like Bizmoune Cave. Kuhn’s work emphasizes understanding technological innovation’s role in human cognitive and social evolution. His publications span topics from blade production strategies to regional Paleolithic chronologies. Key contributions include The Evolution of Paleolithic Technologies (2020), analyzing global stone tool development patterns. Awards: 2017: Society for American Archaeology Award for Excellence in Archaeological Analysis (Lithics) 2009-2010: Alexander von Humboldt Research Award Kuhn teaches courses in archaeology, quantitative methods, and Old World prehistory. His fieldwork teams collaborate with institutions in China, Serbia, Morocco, and Israel to advance understanding of early human adaptation and technological change.

Zachary C. DunsethView profile

Associate Professor

• Human-animal-environmental interactions
• Desert urbanism
• Phytolith science
• +7 more

Zachary C. Dunseth is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and the Kershaw Chair of the Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Neighboring Lands at the University of California San Diego. His research focuses on geoarchaeology and phytolith science in desert environments, particularly the ancient Levant. Dunseth investigates long-term human-environmental interactions in arid regions, using microscopic physical and chemical traces in archaeological sediments to explore mobility, subsistence, and resource economies. Education: B.A. in Archaeology and Classical Humanities (George Washington University, 2009); M.A. and Ph.D. in Archaeology (Tel Aviv University, 2014 and 2019); Postdoctoral Fellowships at Brown University (2019–2021) and Babson College (2021–2022). Research Interests include desert urbanism, Bronze and Iron Age Levant, micro-geoarchaeology, dung analysis, and Open Science initiatives like the International Committee on Open Phytolith Science (ICOPS). He leads fieldwork projects in Israel (Megiddo, Kiriath Jearim, Arad) and collaborates with teams in Jordan, Syria, Cyprus, Sardinia, and the U.S. Southwest. Recent articles highlight studies on dung microremains in Navajo pastoralism, Middle Bronze Age urbanization at Megiddo, and the archaeology of ancient water systems in the Negev. His work bridges field archaeology with advanced analytical methods to reconstruct environmental and social dynamics in arid regions.

Sarah Jacoba Deborah WurzView profile

Professor

• Middle Stone Age archaeology
• Human evolution
• Paleoenvironmental reconstruction
• +7 more

Sarah Jacoba Deborah Wurz is a Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural and Religious Studies at the University of Bergen, Norway. Her research is centered on Middle Stone Age archaeology in Southern Africa, with a particular focus on the Klasies River Main Site in South Africa. She maintains active research collaborations with institutions including the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and participates in the Center for Early Sapiens Behavior (SapienCE) research project. Professor Wurz's research interests span multiple dimensions of Paleolithic archaeology. Her primary focus is on the Middle Stone Age of Southern Africa, examining critical aspects of human evolution and adaptation during the Pleistocene epoch. She specializes in zooarchaeological analysis, particularly faunal remains from sites like Klasies River, which provides insights into early human subsistence strategies and environmental adaptations. Her work also encompasses lithic technology analysis, site formation processes, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Wurz has made significant contributions to understanding coastal adaptations during Marine Isotope Stages 4-6, shellfish exploitation patterns, and the relationship between environmental change and human behavioral evolution in Southern Africa. Analysis of Wurz's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the Klasies River Main Site as a critical location for understanding Middle Stone Age human behavior. Her work integrates multiple analytical approaches including zooarchaeology, taphonomy, stratigraphy, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. A notable trend is her interdisciplinary approach that combines traditional archaeological methods with scientific dating techniques and environmental analysis. Her research particularly emphasizes the relationship between environmental fluctuations during Marine Isotope Stages and human adaptations, with special attention to coastal resource exploitation and technological innovations during the Middle Stone Age. Professor Wurz actively participates in major research initiatives, most notably the Center for Early Sapiens Behavior (SapienCE), which is funded by the Research Council of Norway (reference 262618). Her collaborative work extends across multiple institutions in Norway and South Africa, reflecting the international nature of Paleolithic research. She has been involved in numerous field projects at key Middle Stone Age sites in Southern Africa, contributing to our understanding of early human behavior and evolution. Wurz's research has been supported by significant funding from the Research Council of Norway, enabling extensive fieldwork and laboratory analysis. While specific laboratory facilities aren't detailed in the provided information, Professor Wurz's research clearly involves extensive work with archaeological collections from Southern Africa, particularly from the Klasies River Main Site. Her collaborations suggest access to specialized facilities for zooarchaeological analysis, lithic technology studies, and potentially ancient DNA research given her involvement in publications related to this field. Her work appears to involve both field-based research teams conducting excavations in South Africa and laboratory-based analysis teams working on material collected from these sites.