معرفی
Keith Malcolm Prufer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico and Director of the Radiocarbon Lab. His work focuses on environmental archaeology, human responses to climate change, and complex socioeconomic systems in the Maya Lowlands, particularly through interdisciplinary research combining paleoclimatology, isotopic analysis, and spatial methodologies.
- University of New Mexico faculty since 2008
- Director of Radiocarbon Lab
- Core member of Center for Stable Isotopes
- Collaborations with institutions across the US and Europe
Research interests span 14,000 years of human history in Mesoamerica, examining links between climate shifts, subsistence strategies, and societal transformations. He employs speleothem paleoclimatology, isotopic diet reconstruction, and LiDAR mapping to study prehistoric adaptations.
Recent publications highlight his work on Early Holocene mortuary practices, Maya settlement scaling theory, and climate-driven political instability. Funded by NSF (2008-2015, 2016-2018, 2022-2025) and Alphawood Foundation (2014-2018, 2015-2024), his research spans Belize, Mesoamerica, and comparative tropical contexts.
- NSF-HSD collaborative project (2008-2013)
- Alphawood Foundation grants (2014-2018, 2015-2024)
- NSF grants for radiocarbon lab upgrades (2016-2018, 2022-2025)
His lab at UNM's Center for Stable Isotopes houses advanced equipment for isotope sample preparation, radiocarbon dating, and archaeological chemistry. He emphasizes transdisciplinary collaboration, integrating archaeology with geoscience, genetics, and modern Maya ethnography.
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