PhD Students
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Kevin Smith
I am a current Ph.D. student at UC Davis with an emphasis in archaeology. My interests are deeply tied to topics of technology and human evolution to aqueous environments. My specific research interests surround the production and use of terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene lithic technologies in the Far West of North America, and specifically what roles these early flaked stone tools played in Paleoindian subsistence systems. My Master’s thesis research concentrated on deciphering the organization of production of single-piece shell fishhooks on the Southern California Channel Islands during the late Holocene. I use an integrative multi-methodological approach to studies of ancient technologies which integrates conventional analytical techniques with replicative studies (experimental archaeology). Contact: kncsmith@ucdavis.edu |
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Corey Johnson
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Evolutionary Anthropology at UC Davis whose research concerns early hominin lithic technological behavior, particularly during the Early Pleistocene in East Asia. I am interested in experiments concerning measuring lithic utility, productivity, viability and other raw material economy parameters within and between artifact assemblages to reveal different behavioral and ecological factors which have implications for understanding the Plio-Pleistocene archaeological record and the evolution of hominin technological behavior. Contact: corjohnson@ucdavis.edu |
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Giulia Gallo
I am a PhD candidate in the Evolutionary wing of the UC Davis Anthropology department, studying behavioral diversity in the Middle Paleolithic (MP) and Upper Paleolithic (UP) of Europe and Asia. My research focuses on the structural and chemical changes to bone, and how this information can shed light on the specialized use of bone in the Pleistocene. My work with CEAD includes projects investigating the diagenesis and the thermal properties of bone, as well as the role of bone as a raw material in Paleolithic art. For more information, feel free to contact at the email address listed below. Contact: gtgallo@ucdavis.edu |
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Sara Watson
I am an Evolutionary Anthropology Ph.D. candidate at UC Davis interested in the relationship between technological innovation and the emergence of complex behavior in early human history. My research examines the development of technologies focused on the production of small tools, known as microliths. Microlithic tools have been argued to represent a vital technological innovation that contributed to the global spread and success of our species. Currently my work focuses on the late Pleistocene record from southern Africa, a period spanning from about 60-20 thousand years ago, where some of the earliest microlithic technologies can be found. My experimental research looks at factors influencing the adoption, design, production, and potential uses for small tool technologies. I am currently working on experiments looking at the use of heat treatment and the intentional fragmentation of blades to produce small tools. I am also interested in the creation of composite tools and early projectile technology. Contact: sewatson@ucdavis.edu |
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Peiqi Zhang
I am a Ph.D. student of Department of Anthropology. My research interest is about lithic technology, especially the blade technology and its relationship with flake technology in East Asia and adjacent regions. Also, I am interested in lithic use-wear analysis and use-wear experiments. Contact: zpeiqi@ucdavis.edu |
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Meredith Carlson
I am a PhD student in the Evolutionary Wing of the UC Davis Anthropology Department. My research interests center on the emergence and evolution of human technological behavior, including percussive and flaked stone tools. In particular, I am focused on the relationship between the lithic technologies of hominins, and those of our non-human primate relatives. In participation with CEAD, I seek to understand technological behavior through replicative experiments on tool efficiency, use wear, and behavioral transmission. Contact: mkcarlson@ucdavis.edu |
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