Prof. Willy Tinner is a leading academic at the University of Bern, serving as Head of the Paleoecology section and Vice Executive Director within the Institute of Plant Sciences. His research focuses on reconstructing past environmental changes through pollen analysis, vegetation dynamics, and human-ecosystem interactions. Tinner's work integrates paleoecological data with climatology, archaeology, and conservation biology to understand long-term ecological processes. His expertise spans Holocene climate impacts, Neolithic land use patterns, and biodiversity conservation challenges in alpine and Mediterranean ecosystems. Notable research includes studies on Fagus-Quercus forest coexistence in Italy, Abies alba climatic adaptations, and human-driven vegetation changes across Europe. Tinner collaborates internationally, contributing to projects in Greece, Ukraine, and the Balkans. He has published extensively on topics such as fire regimes, lake sediment archives, and the ecological consequences of ancient agricultural practices. His leadership positions reflect his role in shaping Switzerland's ecological research priorities through institutions like WSL Cadenazzo.
Edward L. Shaughnessy serves as the Lorraine J. and Herrlee G. Creel Distinguished Service Professor in Early Chinese Studies and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. A renowned scholar of ancient China, he specializes in archaeologically recovered texts from the Zhou dynasty period (c. 1045-249 BCE), particularly bronze inscriptions, bamboo-slip manuscripts, and the classical texts Zhou Yi (I Ching), Shang Shu, and Shi Jing. His research interests focus on the intersection of archaeological discoveries and literary traditions, with particular expertise in bronze inscriptions and the Zhou Yi. Shaughnessy has pioneered efforts to bridge Western and Chinese scholarly traditions, publishing extensively in both English and Chinese. He has written seven volumes of technical scholarship in Chinese and is currently leading an international team translating Tsinghua University's fourth-century BCE bamboo-slip manuscripts. His recent scholarly output shows strong trends in paleographic studies, with numerous publications analyzing newly excavated manuscripts. His work demonstrates a consistent focus on textual transmission, historical context, and the relationship between archaeological evidence and received literary traditions. Notable patterns include systematic analysis of bamboo-slip manuscripts, comparative studies of textual variants, and interdisciplinary approaches combining philology, archaeology, and historical analysis. Shaughnessy has received recognition through his appointment as a Distinguished Service Professor, one of the highest academic honors at the University of Chicago. His scholarly contributions have significantly advanced the field of early Chinese studies through both original research and editorial work. As an educator, Shaughnessy teaches seminars on oracle-bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, bamboo-strip inscriptions, and courses on the Yi jing, Shi jing, and Shang shu. He serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the department and has supervised numerous graduate students. His current and upcoming courses include 'The Ji Zhong Discovery,' 'The Development of Early China Studies in the West,' 'Western Zhou Bronze Inscriptions,' 'The Shang shu,' and 'The Shi jing.' Shaughnessy maintains an active research program with current projects including the translation of Tsinghua University's bamboo manuscripts and serving as co-editor of the journal Bamboo and Silk. His scholarly network extends internationally, as evidenced by his 2013 lecture series at the Collège de France titled 'Unearthing the Chinese Classics,' where he presented on the Zhou Yi, Shang Shu, Shi Jing, and Laozi.
Ali Mousavi is Assistant Professor of Iranian Archaeology in UCLA’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and a core faculty member of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. A Berkeley PhD and former fellow of the Smithsonian, Maison de l’Orient and Global Heritage Fund, he has directed excavations and UNESCO World-Heritage projects at Pasargadae, Bam, Susa, Sultaniyeh and Turang Tepe and authored prize-winning volumes Ancient Iran from the Air and Persepolis: Discovery and Afterlife of a World Wonder . Education PhD, Near Eastern Studies (Archaeology), University of California, Berkeley (2005) MA, Archaeology, History and Languages of Old World Civilizations, Université Lyon II, France (1997) BA, Archaeology and Art History of Europe and the East Mediterranean, Université Lyon II, France (1996) Research interests span the archaeology and art history of Iran from the Neolithic to the early-20th century, with particular focus on Achaemenid and Sasanian monumental architecture, ancient irrigation (qanats), landscape archaeology, digital heritage, and the modern historiography of Iranian archaeology. His field projects integrate remote sensing, epigraphy, GIS and conservation science to investigate imperial capitals, rock-cut monuments and water-management systems across the Iranian plateau. Across more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, Mousavi has re-examined dating criteria for Achaemenid stone monuments, analysed royal inscriptions as visual displays, traced medieval Persian pilgrims’ graffiti at ancient sites, and produced synthetic archaeological surveys of the Sasanian empire and the Central Alborz Iron-Age cultures. The corpus reflects a sustained engagement with primary field data, archival research and critical historiography of 19th- and 20th-century excavations. Selected honours Ehsan Yarshater Book Award (2014) Iranian Ministry of Culture World Book Award (2014) Leon Levy – Shelby White publication grant (2008) UNESCO award for World-Heritage nomination files (2003) Iran Heritage Foundation field-work award (2003) Guitty Azarpay Fellowship, UC Berkeley (2000-2003) IFRI Fellowship, Paris (1998) At UCLA he offers undergraduate courses “Archaeology of Iran” and “Ancient Cities of Iran (4000 BC-AD 1900)” and mentors graduate researchers in the Cotsen Institute. His grants and fellowships from NSF-equivalent European and American agencies underwrite both field seasons and publication of critical archaeological corpora, while his service on Iranian, UNESCO and international heritage boards continues to link scholarly output with heritage-management policy.
George Perry is a Professor of Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University, with research intersections in Biology, Evolutionary Medicine, and Genomics. He is affiliated with the Huck Institutes' Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Ecology, Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences, and Bioinformatics and Genomics programs. Perry directs the Anthropological Genomics Lab , focusing on paleogenomics and evolutionary adaptation. Research areas: anthropological genomics, parasite evolution, human body size transitions, and evolutionary medicine Key collaborations: international teams in Madagascar, Europe, and Africa Leadership: Bioinformatics and Genomics Chair (2019–2023) His 2025–2022 publications span evolutionary responses to invasive species, human migration health impacts, chemosensory gene adaptation, and primate genomic diversity. Notable methodological contributions include ancient DNA recovery and comparative paleogenomics. Perry advises graduate students like Vanessa Garcia and Annette Mercedes, with grants including NIH support for Cuban health disparity studies. Scientific leadership includes tenure-line promotions (2023) and NASA Space Grant collaborations.
Bryan K. Hanks is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh's Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. An archaeologist specializing in prehistoric Eurasian societies, his research spans from the Bronze Age steppes of Russia to Neolithic villages in the Balkans and Native American pit house settlements in Idaho. Education: Dr. Hanks earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 2003, establishing his foundation in archaeological research. Research Interests: His work focuses on late prehistoric societies , particularly examining mobile pastoralism , early metallurgy , and settlement patterning . His projects integrate geophysical and geochemical methods to understand subsistence strategies, craft production, and social organization across Eurasia and North America. Research Trends: His publications reveal a consistent focus on Bronze Age societies of the Eurasian steppes, with particular attention to mortuary practices , metallurgical developments , and social complexity . Recent work has expanded to include Neolithic European settlements and Native American archaeology in the American West. Collaborations & Training: Dr. Hanks maintains extensive international collaborations with institutions in Russia, Serbia, the UK, and across the US. He is deeply committed to student training , regularly including graduate and undergraduate students in his international field projects and offering local geophysics training in Pittsburgh.
Andrew Bauer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stanford University and serves as Director of the Stanford Archaeology Center. His research centers on anthropological archaeology with primary fieldwork in South India, investigating human-environment relations, landscape history, and institutionalized social inequalities across Iron Age, Early Historic, and Medieval periods. Bauer's work critically examines socio-politics of land use, cultural landscape production, and intersections between historical landscape practices and modern conservation/climate change frameworks. His methodology integrates fieldwork in Turkey, Iran, and the United States with South Indian case studies on mortuary practices, megalithic monuments, and agricultural systems to analyze power dynamics in prehistoric societies. Recent publications (2021-2024) demonstrate consistent focus on critical geoarchaeology, political ecology of landscapes, and periodization challenges in South Asian archaeology. His influential books including Before Vijayanagara (2015) and Climate Without Nature (2018) establish theoretical frameworks connecting material culture studies with Anthropocene discourse and social inequality analysis. No scientific awards were mentioned in the provided text. The available documentation does not specify details regarding graduate student advising or external grant funding. Bauer co-directs active fieldwork in South India's Tungabhadra Basin and Raichur Doab regions, utilizing remote sensing and soil analysis techniques. His Stanford research lab (Building 500, Room 103) supports interdisciplinary collaboration examining long-term socio-environmental change through landscape archaeology and critical theory approaches.
Prof. Ludwig D. Morenz is a Professor of Egyptology at the University of Bonn and Director of the Egyptian Museum Bonn. He holds positions as a Principal Investigator in archaeological research and leads excavations in Egypt. His academic journey includes a Habilitation from the University of Tübingen (2001), a PhD from Leipzig (1994), and extensive postdoctoral fellowships across Europe. His research focuses on Pharaonic socio-economic systems, particularly dependency relationships between state expeditions and Canaanite populations. He examines ancient Egyptian economy, religion, and cultural interactions through material and textual evidence. Key areas include the origins of alphabetic writing, solar deity symbolism, and Roman-Egyptian cultural hybridity. Morenz has secured over €1 million in third-party funding from institutions like the German Research Foundation (DFG) and Gerda Henkel Foundation. He supervises numerous doctoral and master's students, reviewing over 30 theses and international PhDs. His editorial roles include founding journals like Studia Sinaitica and Bonner Ägyptologische Beiträge . Major excavations under his leadership include the Elite Necropolis of Qubbet el Hawa and the Serabit el-Chadim Hathor temple project. He participates in consortia such as the DFG Research Training Group 'Archeology of Pre-Modern Economies' and the International Congress of Egyptologists. Awards: Heisenberg Fellowship (DFG), Feodor Lynen Fellowship (Humboldt Foundation), Herzog-Ernst Scholarship Exhibitions: Curated annual special exhibitions at the Egyptian Museum Bonn, including a landmark show on alphabetic writing origins at Cairo's National Museum Publications: 13 monographs, 4 edited volumes, and over 100 articles
Li Liu is the Sir Robert Ho Tung Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University. She joined the Stanford faculty in 2010, following 14 years at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, where she taught archaeology and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Humanities in Australia. Her research focuses on early China's archaeology, encompassing the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, ritual practices, cultural interactions with the Old World, domestication processes, state formation, and urban development. She holds a B.A. in Archaeology from Northwestern University (Xi'an), an M.A. in Anthropology from Temple University (Philadelphia), and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard University (1994). Dr. Liu's educational background includes degrees from prestigious institutions across multiple countries, reflecting her global academic engagement. Her work bridges archaeological methods with interdisciplinary approaches to understand societal complexity and environmental adaptation in ancient China. Notably, her contributions to understanding cultural exchanges between China and neighboring regions have been influential in East Asian Studies. Her research interests emphasize material culture analysis, settlement patterns, and the socio-political dynamics underlying early state formations. This includes investigations into ritual landscapes, agricultural practices, and urbanization processes in ancient China. Her studies often involve collaborative projects that integrate archaeological data with historical and anthropological perspectives. Dr. Liu has been recognized for her scholarly contributions, including her Fellowship in the Australian Academy of Humanities. Though her primary role is in archaeology, her Google Scholar publications reflect interdisciplinary collaborations in medical research, audio engineering, and environmental science, suggesting diverse academic engagements. In advising, she mentors students in archaeological and anthropological studies, though specific advisee names are not listed here. Her grants and funding history, while not detailed in the text, would likely support her archaeological fieldwork and interdisciplinary projects. She has contributed to the Stanford Center for East Asian Studies and affiliated programs, fostering cross-cultural research initiatives.
Sarah Newman is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Social Sciences at the University of Chicago's College and serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies. She holds a PhD from Brown University (2015). Her research integrates archaeological, historical, and art historical methods to examine themes such as waste, human-animal relationships, and long-term landscape transformations in Mesoamerica and beyond. Key projects include the Invisible Landscapes initiative, co-directed with Felipe Rojas and Eduardo Góes Neves, which explores anthropogenic landscapes through multidisciplinary collaboration. Newman’s fieldwork in Jordan investigates water management systems near Petra, while her Maya-focused studies address zooarchaeology, sensory experiences, and knowledge systems. Her monograph Unmaking Waste: New Histories of Old Things (2023) redefines waste as a culturally contingent concept, challenging Eurocentric narratives through cross-cultural comparisons. A current book project, Animal Archaeology , extends archaeological methodologies to non-human histories. Newman’s affiliations include the Committee on Environment, Geography, and Urbanization, the Institute for the Formation of Knowledge, and the Center for Latin American Studies. Publications span topics from Classic Maya animal categories to Neolithic sites in Jordan. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, including remote sensing and 3D imaging technologies. Recent research explores sensory archaeology, particularly olfactory practices in Mesoamerica, and critiques traditional archaeological frameworks through comparative global perspectives.
Christopher Bronk Ramsey is Professor in Archaeological Science and Head of the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford, affiliated with Merton College. As chair of the INTCAL committee, he oversees global radiocarbon calibration. His expertise spans archaeological science, Quaternary environmental research, and nuclear instrumentation development. Research focuses on radiocarbon dating, Bayesian chronological modeling, and AMS techniques. Key areas include Quaternary chronology, human evolution, climate change impacts, and archaeological applications in the eastern Mediterranean, Amazonia, and Anglo-Saxon England. He develops the OxCal software for statistical chronology analysis. Recent publications emphasize radiocarbon calibration advancements, pre-Columbian land-use in Amazonia, European Neolithic chronologies, and high-precision dating methods. His work integrates archaeology, environmental science, and data science to address chronological challenges across diverse temporal and spatial scales. No specific scientific awards were detailed in the source material. He supervises numerous doctoral students on topics ranging from dendrochronology to digital archaeology and Middle Stone Age chronology. Major projects include FeedSax (Anglo-Saxon agriculture) and HERCA (Amazonian human-environment interactions), securing research grants for interdisciplinary teams. Professor Ramsey directs the OxCal project and co-leads IntCal, IntChron, FeedSax, and HERCA initiatives. These teams develop calibration standards, integrate chronological data, and investigate past human adaptations to environmental change, particularly in Amazonia and Europe.
Lisa Maher is a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, since 2012. She directs the Geoarchaeology and Southwest Asia Prehistory Laboratory, serves as Curator of Lithic Collections at the Hearst Museum of Anthropology, and is affiliated with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Center for European Studies, and the University of Toronto’s Archaeology Center. Education: PhD in Anthropology from the University of Toronto (2005) Postdoctoral: Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow (2005-2007), Arts and Humanities Research Council of Britain-funded Research Associate (2007-2011) Her research investigates Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherer societies in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, focusing on human-environment interactions, transitions to food production, and landscape archaeology. She explores how climate change, technological innovation, and social networks influenced sedentism, population aggregation, and mortuary practices through material culture analysis. Lisa’s recent publications address meat preservation techniques (2019), hut structures in Southwest Asia and Europe (2019), phytolith evidence for Neolithization (2016), and environmental dynamics in the Levant (2016). These works highlight her expertise in geoarchaeology, lithic analysis, and climate-society linkages over 20,000+ years. Scientific Awards: Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow (2005-2007) Arts and Humanities Research Council of Britain-funded Research Associate (2007-2011) Lisa collaborates with institutions like the University of Toronto, University of Tulsa, and UNLV on projects in Jordan, Cyprus, and Hawaii. She contributes geoarchaeological expertise to regional studies in the Levant, Iran, and Kurdistan, emphasizing interdisciplinary methods and long-term landscape change.
Dr. Emma Pomeroy is an Associate Professor in the Evolution of Health, Diet and Disease at the University of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology. She is an active researcher with expertise spanning anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and paleoanthropology. Her work combines human bioarchaeology with human biology and paleoanthropology, conducting research across South America, South Asia, Europe, and the Near East. Dr. Pomeroy's research focuses on understanding how past and present variation in human health, growth, and morphology is influenced by evolutionary processes including adaptation, neutral variation, and plasticity, as well as interactions with natural and social environments. Her specific interests in reproduction include the evolution and adaptation of the human pelvis, impacts of evolutionary and environmental factors on pelvic morphology and birth complications, and how early life conditions affect later growth and health which may influence birth complication risks. A significant portion of her recent work has investigated the evolutionary origins of low lean tissue mass among contemporary South Asians, which is implicated in elevated risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Dr. Pomeroy leads important archaeological projects including serving as the paleoanthropologist at renewed excavations at Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan since 2016, where her team has made significant new Neanderthal discoveries. She also co-directs the Old St Bernard's Hospital Project in Gibraltar with Dr. Kevin Lane and Professor Clive Finlayson, investigating health, diet, and migration among skeletons from a 16th-17th century mariner's hospital. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on human skeletal variation, Neanderthal studies, human adaptation, and the developmental origins of health and disease. Her work spans multiple geographical regions including the Americas, Europe, Mesopotamia and the Near East, and South Asia, examining periods from the Paleolithic through to contemporary populations. Dr. Pomeroy contributes to interdisciplinary research networks including Cambridge Reproduction, where she investigates the evolutionary aspects of human reproduction. Her methodological approaches integrate skeletal biology, archaeological science, and evolutionary theory to address fundamental questions about human variation and adaptation.
Alissa Mittnik is a Group Leader at the Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. She leads the 'MySocialBeIng' group, focusing on integrating archaeoscience to reconstruct social systems like kinship, gender roles, and mobility patterns in ancient societies. Her work bridges genetics, archaeology, and cultural studies to understand prehistoric populations. Education: PhD in 2016: University of Tübingen (Investigating Social Dynamics via Ancient DNA) Studies in Biology at Washington University (USA), University of Rostock, and University of Tübingen Research Interests: Genetic correlates of cultural transitions and social hierarchies Mobility in the ancient Mediterranean Archaeogenetic analysis of prehistoric populations Applications of ancient DNA to reconstruct migration and kinship networks Key Projects: Co-led the 'Times of Upheaval' project (2016-2018) on Bronze Age societal changes Published extensively on European, Mediterranean, and African prehistoric populations Lab/Team: Her group combines genomic, isotopic, and archaeological data to address questions about human migration, social organization, and cultural evolution.
Wiebke Kirleis is Professor for Environmental Archaeology and Archaeobotany at the Institute for Pre- and Protohistory, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU). She has held this position since May 2014 and was previously a junior professor at the same university from 2008 to 2014. She is actively involved in major interdisciplinary research projects, including the Cluster of Excellence ROOTS and the Collaborative Research Centre 1266 'Scales of Transformation', where she serves as co-speaker and technical platform speaker. PhD in Natural Sciences, University of Göttingen (2002) Diploma in Biology, University of Göttingen (1998) Studies in Botany, Anthropology, and Environmental History, University of Göttingen (1990–1998) Wiebke Kirleis' research centers on the interaction between humans and plants during the late Pleistocene and Holocene, with a focus on plant economy, domestication, agricultural development, and landscape transformation. Her work explores how wild and cultivated plants were used for nutrition, ritual, and technical purposes, and how agricultural innovations such as ploughing and manuring impacted Central European landscapes. She has a strong geographical focus on Northern and Central Germany, Southeastern Europe, the Near and Middle East, and Southeast and East Asia, particularly Indonesia. Her methodological expertise includes archaeobotany (analysis of charred and waterlogged plant remains), palynology (pollen and spore analysis from sediment cores), and anthracology (study of charcoal remains). Her recent research includes studies on broomcorn millet diffusion, early farming in Scandinavia and Russia, and plant use in Bronze Age settlements across Europe and Turkey. She leads and collaborates on numerous interdisciplinary projects, emphasizing the integration of botanical data into broader archaeological narratives. Her publications reflect a consistent trend in environmental archaeology, focusing on plant domestication, agricultural transitions, and human-induced landscape change. Keywords across her recent work include archaeobotany, palynology, Neolithic and Bronze Age subsistence, and environmental reconstruction. Her research spans subfields such as food security, cultural transmission of plant use, early monumentality, and socio-economic aspects of prehistoric agriculture. Board member, Cluster of Excellence ROOTS Co-speaker, CRC 1266 'Scales of Transformation' Speaker, ROOTS Technical Platform Board member, Johanna-Mestorf-Akademie Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Dithmarschen Stone Age Park (since 2023) Full member, German Archaeological Institute (DAI) Elected member, Commission for Archaeology of Non-European Cultures (KAAK) Wiebke Kirleis has supervised numerous research projects funded by the DFG and other agencies, including the Graduate School 'Human Development in Landscapes'. She has advised students and collaborated internationally with institutions in Italy, Norway, Indonesia, and Australia. Her leadership roles in academic self-administration include serving on planning, budget, and equality committees at CAU Kiel. She is committed to science communication, having launched the digital exhibition 'Alles bleibt anders' and produced educational films on archaeobotany. She is also involved in mentoring female postdocs through the via:mento program. She leads the archaeobotanical component in the 'Superfood' module of the SFB 1266 digital exhibition and is actively involved in the ROOTS Cluster’s Subcluster 'Dietary ROOTS'. Her lab and research team operate within the Institute for Pre- and Protohistory, contributing to the university’s strong focus on interdisciplinary landscape archaeology.
Jacob R. Hall is an Assistant Professor in the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society at The Ohio State University. His research lies at the intersection of Political Economy, Law & Economics, and Economic History, with a particular focus on long-term economic growth and institutional development. He employs spatial and network data extensively in his empirical work, drawing on both European and American historical contexts. His research interests center on understanding the deep historical roots of economic and political institutions. He investigates questions related to the emergence of the state, the evolution of legal systems, the impact of social orders on violence, and the economic consequences of major historical transformations such as the Neolithic Revolution, the Commercial Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution. His methodological toolkit includes quantitative analysis of historical datasets, particularly those involving geography and social networks. While no specific publications are listed, his research trajectory is evident from his teaching materials and the datasets he references, which include resources like the English Medieval Crop Yields Database, the Gazetteer of English Markets and Fairs, and the Domesday Book. His work bridges economics, history, and data science, aiming to provide rigorous empirical answers to fundamental questions in social science. Hall has developed comprehensive lecture notes for undergraduate courses, including Global Economic History , which covers topics from the Malthusian economy to the 20th century, and The Economics of the Law , which applies economic principles to property, contracts, torts, and legal systems. He has also given talks on the Great Depression and the relationship between institutions and economic growth. His academic background includes a PhD in Economics from George Mason University (2023) and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and the Penn Initiative for the Study of Markets. He maintains an active online presence through a personal website and GitHub, where he shares teaching materials and code, indicating a commitment to open scholarship and educational resource development. He is affiliated with professional organizations and resources in economic history, such as the Economic History Association and the Economic History Society, and engages with tools for GIS, network analysis (e.g., igraph), and web scraping. Although no formal advising relationships, grants, or scientific awards are mentioned in the provided text, his position and research program suggest active involvement in the academic community.
