Kathryn Ranhorn

Kathryn Ranhorn is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change and a Research Scientist at the Institute of Human Origins. Her work focuses on the co-evolution of humans, technology, and environments over deep time, with a particular emphasis on Eastern Africa. She leads the Kondoa Deep History Partnership and maintains collaborations in paleoanthropology, heritage management, and community archaeology. Ranhorn directs three labs at ASU: the Ancient Technology Lab, Deep History Lab, and Archaeological Science Lab, emphasizing experimental archaeology, lithic analysis, and public engagement.

Education: Ph.D. in Hominin Paleobiology from George Washington University (GWU) and B.A. in Anthropology and African Studies from the University of Florida. Research interests span transdisciplinary human evolution science, socio-technological evolution, community-based research, and heritage stewardship.

Her research integrates fieldwork in Kenya and Tanzania with experimental methods to investigate cultural transmission and technological change. Recent projects include geoarchaeological studies at GaJj17 (Turkana Basin) and Kisese II Rockshelter (Tanzania). Public-facing activities include the Experimental Archaeology Club and annual Paleo Picnic events.

Grants and collaborations include funding from the Leakey Foundation and Wenner-Gren Foundation. Mentoring includes postdoctoral researchers like Aylar Abdolahzadeh and Ph.D. students such as Husna Mashaka and Sydney James. Lab activities emphasize controlled experiments (e.g., thermal treatment of lithics) and community-driven curation practices.

Teaching focuses on courses like Human Cultural Beginnings and Lithic Analysis, prioritizing experiential learning and evidence-based approaches to understanding human origins.