معرفی
Jacob L. Bongers is the Tom Austen Brown Postdoctoral Research Associate in Archaeology at the University of Sydney and Geospatial Director at Up & Under Services. A digital archaeologist specializing in Peru and Australia, he employs community-collaborative, geospatial, and isotopic approaches to study Indigenous responses to political and environmental change across ritualized landscapes.
Education:
- BA, University of Southern California
- MA, University of California, Los Angeles
- PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Research Interests:
Dr. Bongers integrates digital archaeology, GIS, drone photogrammetry, and bioarchaeology to explore mortuary practices, land-use strategies, and ceremonial landscapes. His projects span the Andes and Australian deserts, emphasizing community engagement and heritage conservation.
His recent publications reveal a focus on pigment symbolism, vertebrae-on-posts mortuary rituals, Inca resettlement evidenced through ancient DNA, and geochemical sourcing of cinnabar, collectively advancing understandings of identity, imperialism, and ritual in ancient societies.
Scientific Awards & Funding:
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
- Ford Foundation Fellowship
- National Geographic Young Explorers Grant
- Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid
Teaching & Supervision:
Bongers lectures in Social Archaeology and Ancient Worlds at the University of Sydney and has delivered invited talks at Harvard, Brown, and Columbia.
Field Projects & Labs:
He leads or co-leads multiple initiatives including community-engaged digital heritage work in Arnhem Land and Menindee, AI-driven Andean surveys (GeoPACHA), guano-fertilization studies in Peru, and the CALOR coastal adaptation project in Tanzania, demonstrating a commitment to multidisciplinary, globally collaborative research.
