Brian Chisholm

Brian Chisholm is a Senior Lecturer Emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts. He holds a Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University (1987). His research focuses on archaeology and physical anthropology, particularly prehistoric subsistence patterns, archaeological science, and bio-archaeology in regions like the Pacific Northwest, Japan, and Southeast/East Asia.

His research includes collaborative projects such as stable isotope studies of Jomon Period diets in Japan (funded by Japan’s Ministry of Education) and analyses of paleodietary reconstruction in Hong Kong and the American Southwest. He has contributed to understanding marine vs. terrestrial protein consumption in ancient populations through isotopic analysis.

Publications span topics like isotopic methodology, prehistoric subsistence strategies, and cultural origins theories. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, often involving international collaborations like those with Dr. Hiroko Koike of Kyushu University. Chisholm’s research bridges laboratory science with field archaeology to explore human ecological adaptations in prehistory.