August (Gus) Costa

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.