Alison S. Brooks

Alison S. Brooks is a Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution. She is a paleoanthropologist and Paleolithic archaeologist with expertise in early modern humans, African prehistory, and stone tool technologies. She holds affiliations with the CAI Core and CASHP Core Faculty, and has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Member of the National Academy of Sciences.

• Education: PhD (1979) and MA (1967) from Harvard University, B.A. (1965) from Radcliffe College
• Key Research: Middle Stone Age Africa, hominin evolution, and Neanderthal dietary studies

Her research focuses on African archaeological sites like the Middle Awash Valley (Ethiopia) and Olorgesailie Basin (Kenya), exploring human origins and technological innovation. Notable contributions include debates on modern Homo sapiens emergence and isotopic studies of ancient diets.

Publications emphasize experimental archaeology, paleodietary reconstruction, and interdisciplinary methods. Her work has been honored with the Medal of Honor from Toulouse (2016) and the Trachtenberg Prize (1994).

• Teaching: Courses span biological anthropology, Old World prehistory, and archaeological theory
• Labs: Active in the Stone Age Archaeology Laboratory