News
BU Brink covers Marston’s Maya nixtamalization research
Marston's recent article on Maya nixtamalization (and possible toilets) has been covered by BU's research publication, The Brink. Read the article and interview, titled "What Ancient Toilets Can Teach Us about Maya Life—and Tamales," here.
Kathleen Forste (GRS ’21) and Maria Codlin (GRS ’22) hooded
Kathleen Forste (GRS '21) and Maria Codlin (GRS '22) both were recognized for their doctoral degrees at Boston University's annual doctoral hooding ceremony. Here are the two graduates with Marston, their (co-) advisor. Congratulations to Kathleen and Maria!
Marston publishes first archaeological evidence for maize nixtamalization
A new article in the Journal of Archaeological Science, co-authored by Marston, provides the first direct archaeological evidence for maize nixtamalization. Samples from two chultunes, rock-carved pits, from the Classic Maya site of San Bartolo, Guatemala, yielded abundant quantities of starch spherulites, which Marston and EAL alumna Emily Johnson (CAS '17) previously identified as a product of nixtamalization. Even more exciting, Marston and co-authors found parasite eggs in the same deposits, indicating these chultunes were used as latrines, leading to the conclusion that nejayote, the caustic liquid that is a by-product of nixtamalization, may have been used to "flush" these toilets. Read more about it here (free until July 5)!
EAL alumna and affiliate Kathleen Forste receives ASOR fellowship
Kathleen Forste (GRS '21) has earned a P.E. MacAllister Scholarship for Fieldwork Participation from the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR). This award will support her research in Menorca, Spain this summer. Congratulations Kathleen!
Peter Kováčik wins summer research support from CISS
Peter Kováčik has received a Summer 2022 Research and Conference Travel Award mini-grant from the Boston University Center for Innovation in Social Science for his dissertation research in the Albuquerque basin of New Mexico this summer. Congratulations, Peter!
Evan McDuff earns Fulbright fellowship
Evan McDuff has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Israel for his doctoral dissertation research project, titled "Spices, Identity, and Acts of Culinary Resistance in the Face of the Roman Empire". This fellowship will support Evan during the Spring 2023 semester at the University of Haifa, where he will work in the Laboratory for Sedimentary Archaeology with Prof. Ruth Shahack-Gross. Congratulations, Evan!
Marston co-authors chapter on Archaeobotany in Anatolia
John M. Marston and Lorenzo Castellano (PhD candidate at NYU ISAW) have co-authored a chapter in the just-released Archaeology of Anatolia, Volume IV titled "Archaeobotany in Anatolia". This is the first comprehensive survey and integration of published quantitative archaeobotanical seed remains from Anatolia in nearly 30 years, spanning the Paleolithic to the Ottoman period. The underlying database and bibliography, published open-access through tDAR, are comprehensive references for future study and analysis.
Evan McDuff earns fellowship for dissertation research in Israel
Evan McDuff has been awarded an Educational and Cultural Affairs Junior Research Fellowship from the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem for his doctoral dissertation research project, titled "Spices, Identity, and Acts of Culinary Resistance in the Face of the Roman Empire". This fellowship will support Evan during the Fall 2022 semester in Jerusalem. Congratulations, Evan!
Alumna Goldfield writes PBS episode on dissertation research
Lab alumna Anna Goldfield (GRS '17) is the writer for a recent episode of the PBS series Eons on her dissertation research on Neanderthal energetics. The episode describes the recent finds of Neanderthal remains from El Sidrón cave in the context of Neanderthal extinctions of the late Pleistocene, a topic addressed by Goldfield in this article, published in the Journal of Human Evolution in 2018. Watch the episode here!
Marston editor of new book series, Elements in Environmental Archaeology
Marston has been named editor for a new book series from Cambridge University Press, titled Elements in Environmental Archaeology. Elements are short, digital-born books that convey expert perspectives on focused topics. This series, set to total 30 volumes over the next five years, will include volumes focused on methods, theory and interpretation, critical topics of scholarly conversation, and teaching environmental archaeology. Learn more at the series website here or more about Elements here.