Ben Marwick

Ben Marwick is a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Washington, specializing in evolutionary ecology models applied to Southeast Asia and Australian prehistory. He leads the interdisciplinary Minor in Data Science (combining technical skills and ethical data practices) and directs the UW Geoarchaeology Laboratory. His affiliations include the eScience Institute, Burke Museum, and the Center for Statistics and Social Sciences.

Education:

• PhD in Archaeology and Natural History, Australian National University (2008)
• MA in Archaeology, University of Western Australia (2002)
• BA (Hons I) in Archaeology, University of Western Australia (1999)

Research Interests:

• Stone tool technology and geoarchaeology across Southeast Asia and Australia
• Human colonization dynamics, forager technologies, and transitions to agriculture
• Reproducible research practices, open science advocacy, and computational archaeology

His work bridges technical analyses with community engagement, emphasizing transparency in scientific methods through open-source tools and data sharing.

Articles Overview: Recent publications focus on East Asian Paleolithic innovations, reproducibility in archaeology, and long-term human-environment interactions. Key themes include lithic technology evolution, early human migration routes, and methodological frameworks for open science.

Awards:

• 2023 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award (student-nominated)

Advising & Grants:

• Supervises the UW Geoarchaeology Lab
• Recipient of grants for projects in Thailand, Laos, and Australia
• Collaborates with international teams on multi-disciplinary excavations

Labs & Teams: Active in the Burke Museum's archaeology division and the interdisciplinary eScience Institute, fostering collaborations between archaeologists, statisticians, and software developers.