The UConn Department of Anthropology is home to a diverse community of graduate students studying a variety of subfields. Continue reading to learn more about their favorite parts of their research, why they became interested in anthropology, and fun facts about them!
Q&A
What sparked your interest in Anthropology/Archaeology?
I was always interested in paleontology as a kid, and the first human evolution course I took in college reignited that interest. It took a little longer to come around on archaeology, but my first excavation in France really made me fall in love with it.
What are your research interests?
Human evolution, The Middle and Upper Paleolithic in Eurasia, lithic technology, human behavior.
Where will you/are you conducting your fieldwork?
Armenia and Georgia
What do you find most interesting about your field work location?
What I find most interesting about the Southern Caucasus is how much there still is left to discover and learn about the prehistoric humans who lived in the mountainous region thousands of years ago. The location presents a great opportunity to study human behavior and evolution in an interesting and understudied environment.
What is your most memorable experience thus far in the field?
My most memorable experience in the field was probably that first summer in France, just excavating and handling prehistoric artifacts for the first time. There was (and is) something special about holding a tool that some human made and used thousands of years ago. Getting to visit famous Paleolithic sites like Cro Magnon, Le Moustier, La Ferrassie was wonderful.
What do you do in your “downtime?” Tell us something interesting about yourself!
I am a huge hockey fan, so come 5pm during the season I almost always have a game on in the background. The pandemic has also (unfortunately?) made me a bigger video game person.