Thomas Harper

Thomas Harper is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Anthropology at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), where he has been affiliated since 2013. His academic background includes a Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. in Anthropology from SUNY Buffalo and Penn State. He is part of the Human Paleoecology and Isotope Geochemistry Lab and the Capriles Environmental Archaeology Lab. His research focuses on human ecology, settlement patterns, demography, and archaeological chronologies, with a particular emphasis on quantitative methods integrating material culture and ethnohistory. His work spans multidisciplinary projects in the Americas and Eastern Europe, leveraging radiocarbon dating and GIS technologies. Since 2022, he has concentrated on undergraduate teaching, offering courses in anthropology and archaeology such as ANTH 001: Understanding Humans and ANTH 321W: Intellectual Background of Archaeology.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Anthropology, State University of New York at Buffalo (2016)
• M.A. in Anthropology, State University of New York at Buffalo (2012)
• B.A. in Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University (2008)

Research Interests: Dr. Harper’s work bridges spatial analysis, human paleoecology, and radiocarbon dating to understand population dynamics and subsistence strategies. His studies often address how environmental and climatic factors influenced settlement patterns and cultural processes. Recent projects include investigating drought impacts on ancient Maya civilizations and analyzing genetic data to trace migration patterns in prehistoric populations.

Publications: Harper’s recent articles span topics like avocado domestication in Honduras, radiocarbon dating of Tripolye settlements in Ukraine, and genetic continuity among Indigenous Californian populations. These studies highlight his methodological expertise in combining archaeological, climatic, and genetic data.

Labs & Collaborations: He collaborates with the Capriles Environmental Archaeology Lab and the Human Paleoecology and Isotope Geochemistry Lab, advancing interdisciplinary research in environmental archaeology and cultural ecology.