Welcome, Dr. Carlson! Dr. Carlson will be directing our new anatomy program here at Penn State Anthropology in which he will train med students, grad students, and undergrads! His research program focuses on how limb bone structures reflect physical activities, locomotion, and adaptation.

Welcome, Dr. Ilaria Pretelli! Dr. Pretelli studies how children contribute to families and communities, and how family dynamics shape human development and reproduction. She conducts fieldwork in Zanzibar and Brazil to understand how people navigate the challenges and opportunities of family life.

🎉 Welcome, Dr. Amy Thompson! Dr. Thompson's research focuses on differential access to resources and inequality among ancient Maya communities. She uses traditional archaeological methods (survey, excavations, & radiocarbon dating) alongside cutting edge geospatial technologies (GIS & LiDAR).

Press release for our new paper! “…people across the world created inclusive political systems, even under difficult conditions…An understanding of the hallmarks of autocracy and democracy can help identify threats and pump the brakes on burgeoning totalitarian regimes.” phys.org/news/2026-03...

New study shows democracy has deep global roots—not just Greece and Rome

A new study on ancient societies from around the world is rewriting what we thought we knew about democracy. A team of researchers analyzed archaeological and historical evidence from 31 ancient socie...

phys.org

I'm happy to share another publication from my team out today! Gratitude and congratulations to Abdulai Rashid, Nicole Rincon, and Nathan Rihani for this collaboration. www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltex...

Competition in human genetic technologies: The current US legal landscape

Here, we offer a perspective on the US legal landscape regarding the promotion of competition, with specific attention given to the human genetics and genomics industry. We highlight current policy on...

cell.com

Who's looking for a post-doc? Consider the possibility of Penn State, where Dr. Laura Cabrera and I are collaborating on an NIH-funded project and could use another bright mind to help! (Learn about Dr. Cabrera's Lab at sites.psu.edu/lcabrera/) psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...

Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Neuroethics or Techethics, Dept. of Engineering Science & Mechanics

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

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Lab members are headed to DC this afternoon for the XVIII Annual Mongolian Studies Conference! Co-hosted by The Embassy of Mongolia and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History! #archaeology #history #ecology #mongolia #centralasia

How can we place Indigenous presence and colonial encounters in absolute time? How can we see beyond Spanish descriptions into the landscapes that contextualized encounters? How do we transcend the archaeology-history divide to understand the impacts and outcomes of encounters? #archaeology #history

Had a great time presenting on some of our recent work on early Indigenous-Spanish encounters this past weekend! #archaeology #history #ethnohistory

I was on @npr.org's #Shortwave Science Podcast in which they discuss whether you really need sports drinks talking about #hydration, oral rehydration salts, and more! Check it out: www.npr.org/transcripts/...

In the quest to maximize hydration, do you really need extra electrolytes? : Short Wave

U.S. consumers spend more than $10 billion a year on sports drinks, according to Beverage Industry, a trade publication. And we can’t lie that sometimes a Gatorade or electrolyte tablet sounds really ...

npr.org

Over the past 2 years I've been guest editing a special issue for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on #water & #nutrition in a changing world. I spoke w/ the EIC of JAND Linda Snetselaar about this SI & why #watersecurity is critical to nutrition and health www.youtube.com/watch?v=poZ8...

The Hidden Nutrient: Why Water Security is the Foundation of Health

YouTube video by Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

youtube.com

PhD Students Matt and Lakelyn are attending the Inaugural International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora Foodways Research Symposium down in South Carolina!! #history #culture #food #foodways #archaeology

Currently in the Capriles Environmental Archaeology Lab @psuanthro.bsky.social using our incredible Keyence VHX-7000 to document very early Silk Road food remains (c. 2000 BP) from the Juuku Valley of highland Kyrgyzstan. Featuring: stunning images of peach pits, garden peas, and foxtail millet!

Recent piece in The Conversation by @annepisor.bsky.social !! theconversation.com/a-hard-year-...

A hard year for federal workers offers a real-time lesson in resilience

During a year of extraordinary uncertainty, workers built resilient networks within and across boundaries and distance. An anthropologist explains how these clusters and long-distance ties help people...

theconversation.com

Lab research now available in ✨Mongolian✨🇲🇳 We are fortunate to work and partner with colleagues who take on the critical labor of translating the work of our team for our Mongolian colleagues, scholars, and community members. @cmcarolus.bsky.social @isazooarch.bsky.social @archaeojake.bsky.social

New blog post by Matt on some of his preliminary dissertation work! “Seasonal Oyster Collection by Gullah/Geechee Communities of the American Southeast through Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)” seafront-project.com/post/seasona...

PhD Student Matt Picarelli-Kombert is currently in Mainz, Germany collecting dissertation data on oysters excavated from enslaved and Free Black, Gullah-Geechee communities along the Georgia coast! #archaeology #ecology

SAHND and SHEL Archaeology and Ecology Labs@sahndshel.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Headed back from an EXCELLENT trip to @leizarchaeology.bsky.social. Matt will stay to finish his samples. But why zap shells with a laser? Sure, we’re figuring out what seasons these oysters were collected 200yrs ago, and from where in the estuary, but so what? #archaeology #ecology

Why is Matt zapping oyster shells thousands of times with lasers??!! This week we’re analyzing oysters with Dr. @niklashausmann.bsky.social using laser induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) to “map” the elemental makeup of the oyster’s shell throughout its life 1/3 #archaeology #ecology

Thanks to @archaeojake.bsky.social and the Penn State Anthropology department for letting me explore some ideas about the evolution and development of our quirky cousin Homo naledi

🚨Social scientists! @psuanthro.bsky.social & @ssripennstate.bsky.social are hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor exploring how social & ecological environments shape reproduction, growth, &/or development. Review starts soon! Please share widely! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...

Assistant Professor of Anthropology in Human Reproductive Ecology

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

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🚨 New paper published by prof Nick Holowka and colleagues in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage! Give it a look! 🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

🚨 New paper published in @peerj.bsky.social by Profs Tim Ryan, Joan Richtsmeier, and colleagues! Give it a look! 🔗 peerj.com/articles/201...

🚨 Hey we are hiring an archaeologist!! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...

Assistant Professor of Archaeology

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

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🚨 Hey! We’re hiring a human reproductive ecologist! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...

Assistant Professor of Anthropology in Human Reproductive Ecology

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

🚨 Hey!! We’re hiring an archaeologist!! Come hang out with us!! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...

Assistant Professor of Archaeology

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

🚨 Hey! We’re hiring a human reproductive ecologist! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...

Assistant Professor of Anthropology in Human Reproductive Ecology

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

🚨 Hey we are hiring an archaeologist!! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...

Assistant Professor of Archaeology

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

✨ Faculty Spotlight ✨

New publication out by one of our PIs, @archaeojake.bsky.social!! #archaeology @psuanthro.bsky.social @psuliberalarts.bsky.social

✨ Faculty Spotlight ✨