News
Welcome Evan McDuff!
Welcome to Evan McDuff, the newest member of the Environmental Archaeology Laboratory! Evander completed his MA in Classical Studies from Brandies in 2018 with his thesis entitled "The Potentiality of Phytoliths in the Study of Roman Spices". You can find his spirited science communication piece summarizing his work here. Evan will begin his doctoral program at BU in Anthropological Archaeology in September, working with Drs. Marston and West. Welcome, Evan!
Marston wins NSF support for new isotopic research
The National Science Foundation Archaeology Program has funded the proposal “Spatial Analysis of State Agropastoral Economies”, which is directed by John M. Marston (Boston University, lead PI) and David Meiggs (Rochester Institute of Technology). Over the two-year award, Marston and Meiggs will conduct research to examine how societies manage sustainable agricultural production across the varied landscapes under their control. By integrating multiple isotopic techniques to study both plant and animal remains from the archaeological site of Gordion in central Turkey, the project will enable a new understanding of the dynamics of imperial agricultural strategies in the past, with implications for agricultural sustainability in the present day.
Wade and Marston’s work published in Environmental Archaeology: The Journal of Human Palaeoecology
EA Laboratory Supervisor Kali Wade has published her first article, resulting from her MSc thesis work at the University of Edinburgh, with co-authors Lisa-Marie Shillito, John M. Marston, and Clive Bonsall. Read "Assessing the potential of phytolith analysis to investigate local environment and prehistoric plant resource use in temperate regions: a case study from Williamson’s Moss, Cumbria, Britain" in Environmental Archaeology: The Journal of Human Palaeoecology here. Congratulations Kali!
Marston promoted to Associate Professor
Congratulations to Prof. Marston, who has achieved tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor! Marston is a member of the Department of Anthropology and core faculty in the Archaeology Program, and is affiliated with the Biogeosciences and Medieval Studies programs. In addition to his research, teaching, and advising, Marston is the current Director of Graduate Studies for the Archaeology Program, co-editor of Ethnobiology Letters, and director of the Environmental Archaeology Laboratory. Congratulations Mac!
Marston wins Templeton Award for Excellence in Student Advising
Congratulations to John (Mac) Marston, who has been awarded the Templeton Award for Excellence in Student Advising by the BU College of Arts and Sciences! This award honors the best of BU's educators, who exemplify deep and broad commitment, skill, effectiveness, impact, and leadership in teaching and is awarded through nominations from their students. You can see present and past winners of the award here. Well deserved Mac!
Johnson joins Anthropology doctoral program at UC Santa Barbara
Environmental Archaeology Laboratory alumna Emily Johnson has accepted an offer of admission for doctoral study at the University of California Santa Barbara Department of Anthropology! Emily will begin her program of study this coming September, 2019, studying archaeobotanical remains from North and Central America under Prof. Amber VanDerwarker. Congratulations Emily on this new chapter - we look forward to your many future accomplishments!
Congratulations to Brown, Duppenthaler, and Hunter, graduates in the class of 2019!
Three members of the Environmental Archaeology Laboratory are graduating from Boston University: Emily Brown, Madeline Duppenthaler, and Sydney Hunter.
Congratulations to Emily Brown, who is graduating with a BA in Biology and Archaeology and is a long-standing member of the EA Lab. Emily conducted two UROP projects in the lab: completing morphometric analysis of cereal phytoliths from a Bronze Age tomb in modern Israel, and wood charcoal analysis of the Anatolian site of Çamlıbel Tarlası, dated to ca. 3590-3470 BCE. Emily has accepted a position at the Boston Children's Hospital applying her data compiling and organization skills in an administrative role. Congrats Emily!
Congratulations to Madeline Duppenthaler, who is graduating with her MA in Archaeology! Madeline is the first BU researcher to work on a project both in the Environmental Archaeology and Zooarchaeology Laboratories, analyzing faunal and botanical assemblages from a precontact site in Alaska. Following convocation, Madeline will continue in her role as Zooarchaeology Laboratory Supervisor.
Congratulations to Sydney Hunter, who is graduating with a BA (summa cum laude) in Archaeology. Sydney received UROP funding for five semesters and completed an honors thesis during her time in the EA Lab. Her honors thesis centered on analyzing phytoliths from the site of Sim-Ata 1, in modern day Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan), while her UROP projects studied seeds from Sim-Ata 1 and, earlier, phytoliths from enslaved communities at the historic site of Montpelier. Following graduation, Sydney will continue studying paleoethnobotany at the University of Liverpool, under Dr. Eleni Asouti, as a Fulbright Scholar.
We applaud these amazing scholars and wish them the very best of luck in their future endeavors!
Codlin awarded an NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant
Congratulations to Maria Codlin, who was awarded a National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant this past semester! Maria will continue her research examining how animals in urban food economies relate to social organization and wealth; in particular, among those communities surrounding ancient Teotihuacan, Mexico. Excellent work Maria!
Forste wins 2019 GRAF Award
Kathleen Forste has been awarded a Short-Term Graduate Research Abroad Fellowship from BU's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences! Kathleen will be using the fellowship to fund her travels, collection, and analysis of archaeobotanical remains from the site of Tel Shimron this upcoming summer. Kathleen's work will inform our understanding of agricultural change in Israel's Islamic coastal and inland communities. Congratulations and safe travels Kathleen!
Hunter wins Alumni Award for Writing Excellence
Congratulations to Sydney Hunter for winning a 2019 Alumni Award for Writing Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her exemplary honors thesis used microbotanical remains to examine agriculture and environmental change in the ancient city of Kath (Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan) preceding and during the early Islamic period. She was presented with the award last weekend, along with her bachelor's degree with honors. Well done Sydney!! Onwards to the UK on a Fulbright award!