Reconstructing Human Activities in the Paleolithic
Lisa Maher, Professor
Anthropology
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
About 10,000 years ago in Southwest Asia farming communities began to settle in large villages and produce their own food; forever changing the social and physical landscape of this region. However, the emergence of social complexity and the dramatic social and economic changes that led to the origins of agriculture here began with hunter-gatherer societies at least 20,000 years prior to the Neolithic period. Upper Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic groups living in the region between 30,000 and 11,500 years BP first exhibit many of the cultural traits we associate with later Neolithic villages, including intensive plant use, the first domestic animals (dogs), increased sedentism and population aggregations, architecture, complex site organization, a flourishing artistic repertoire, far-reaching interaction networks, and elaborate mortuary practices.
This project is seeking assistance in the Geoarchaeology and Southwest Asia Prehistory Lab in the Department of Anthropology to help organize and study archaeological collections from prehistoric sites in Southwest Asia excavated by L. Maher, or curated by L. Maher from sites throughout Southwest Asia and Africa. The rich archaeological assemblages from these sites highlight the importance of understanding hunter-gatherer behaviors in reconstructing the emergence of farming communities and social complexity. The collections from exhibit a diverse material culture inventory, with an abundance of chipped stone tools. Part of this project entails the cataloguing and organization of the extensive artifact collections from these sites, as well as digital documentation of the material. In particular, students with an interest in lithic analysis are sought for the sorting and identification of the stone tool assemblages from these sites. As researchers and laboratory assistants in this project, students will gain hands-on experience with the collections, in-depth training in lithic analysis, and general research experience on Palaeolithic cultures of Southwest Asia and Africa from 500,000 to 10,000 years BP.
Role: Students will learn to conduct a variety of material culture analyses, particularly working with stone tools. These analyses will include sorting and recording, working the field data, and 3D imagery of the material.
Qualifications: Students should be highly motivated, detail-oriented, and independent workers; an interest in prehistoric or environmental archaeology is preferred. Experience working in a laboratory setting is an asset but not required. Students should, however, be comfortable working in a lab, getting dirty, and willing to complete any required safety training. Experience with photography and basic spreadsheet software (Excel) is desired.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Jordan Brown, Graduate Student
Hours: 3-5 hrs
Related website: https://anthropology.berkeley.edu/lisa-maher