Loscos, Spain. Drs. Ted Gragson and Victor Thompson, Ph.D. candidates Brett Parbus and Faith McDonald from the University of Georgia in collaboration with Ph.D. candidate Lydia Allué Andrés from the Université Toulouse 2 (France) and Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain) and others are investigating the abandoned medieval town of San Miguel de Mercadal. Historic documents indicate the town was occupied between AD 1280-1495 yet the presence of a chapel in an architectural style common to the 11th century suggests the town may be older.

My research focuses on reconstructing the paleodietary and palaeoclimatological history, pastoral practices, mobility patterns (including transhumance), seasonal herd movements, and settlement patterns. I integrate archaeological and zooarchaeological evidence with biogeochemical approaches, particularly Stable Isotope Analysis, within relevant theoretical frameworks.

Dr. Laurie Reitsema's research has been highlighted in Nature Italy, a digital magazine that reports on scientific research, and issues of science policy, in Italy.

My research interests include settlement patterns, human-environment interactions, and the application of GIS to archaeology. My main focus is on the prehistoric period, with a particular interest in the Neolithic. Previously I studied archaeology in China, and in the future I hope to be exposed to more cross-cultural research.

 My research focuses on investigating the process of how ancient population relocated and reorganized themselves differently in response to changing social and political conditions, particularly during periods of warfare and migration. I am currently interested in understanding the dynamic relationship between local community and state authority shaping the socio-political transformations during phases often described as “state formation" and "collapse.” 

Why did sedentary farming communities continue to hunt even though they had access to domestic animals and cultivated plants? What motivated their hunting activities and what kinds of strategies did these motivations require them to develop? These core questions shaped my zooarchaeological approach by highlighting that the successful hunting and targeting of specific wild species depends on ecological knowledge, understanding the animals and the landscapes humans and wildlife shared, and making decisions accordingly.

I am a Bangladeshi Ph.D. student in anthropology at the University of Georgia (UGA). My work focuses on the intersection of postcolonial studies, gender, and political ecology, with a focus on South Asia and comparative global contexts. I hold an MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA and MSS and BSS degrees in International Relations from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Dr. Suzanne Pilaar Birch has recently recorded a lecture series titled "Early Humans: Ice, Stone, and Survival."

"Early Humans: Ice, Stone, and Survival" is now streaming on Wondrium. This 20-episode series tells the story of humanity's journey from our earliest origins in Africa to the emergence of agriculture, examines the role of climate and environmental change in driving these transitions, and how archaeological science is helping us go beyond the dig to discover more than we ever dreamed possible.

Dr. John Sherry, an anthropologist and former researcher at Microsoft and Intel, presented "Anthropology and Innovation in the Technology Industry" at the Delta Innovation District on Monday. In his talk, Dr. Sherry highlighted the importance of ethnographic research in shaping product design and business strategy.

Saadia Sultan Wahla, a UGA Ph.D Research Scholar, has recently published Mapping and monitoring of spatio-temporal land use and land cover changes and relationship with normalized satellite indices and driving factors, which addresses climate change in Pakistan. Read the full article here.