I am a paleoanthropologist who uses archaeological methods to answer questions about human evolution. My main areas of expertise and interest include stone tools (lithic technology), the prehistory of Southwest Asia and Eastern Africa, Pleistocene hominin dispersals, the early evolution of Homo sapiens, Neanderthal extinction, and the evolution of human behavioral variability. I also have side-interests in experimental archaeology, primitive (i.e., ancestral) technology and wilderness survival skills.
CURRENT AND ONGOING RESEARCH
Survivors' Story: How Prehistoric Problem-Solving Made Us Human. This book project explores the origins of our ancestral survival skills and changes and variability in how species in the Genus Homo used those skills over the last 2.5 million years. I am currently (Summer 2025) working on the book proposal. I anticipate writing this book in 2026-2027 and publishing it in 2029/2029.
The Unstoppable Human Species (2023, Cambridge University Press) explores the evidence for humans' global diaspora in prehistoric times. This book focuses on how prehistoric humans overcame survival challenges and other difficulties as they settled the world. It does this by drawing on ethnography, experimental using ancestral technology, and insights from wilderness survival literature. The book was published on March 23, 2023. I shall begin the "sequel," Surviving Prehistory, in a year or so.
The Eastern African Prehistoric Stoneworking Survey (EAPSS)
This is a database of >265 individual Eastern African stone tool assemblages organized in terms of Stoneworking Modes A-I. Developed for the Prehistoric Stone Tools of Eastern Africa (2020) book, I update it periodically elsewhere on this webpage.
Former research projects (things in which I am no longer actively involved).
Mughr El Hamameh, Jordan
Working with Aaron Stutz and Liv Nilsson-Stutz, I am analyzed stone tools from a cave site in northwestern Jordan. These stone tools date to between 39,000-45,000 years ago, and as such comprise one of the oldest and most securely-dated Initial Upper Paleolithic occurrences in the East Mediterranean Levant. In 2020, recognizing that I am getting on in years and want to retire with a "clean slate," I departed the project, turning the lithic analysis over to Justin Pargeter (NYU).
Paleoanthropology of the Lower Omo River Valley Kibish Formation, Ethiopia.This project in which I collaborated with John Fleagle, and others investigated sites of the oldest-known Homo sapiens fossils in the Lower Omo River Valley. Between 1999-2003, we re-located the fossils sites Richard Leakey had discovered in 1967, conducted additional survey and excavations, and recovered new human fossils. We also obtained geological samples that allowed the human fossils to be dated precisely, to 195,000 years ago. These single-crystal argon dates have since been confirmed by other, independent dating methods. Our findings were published in 2008 in a special issue of the Journal of Human Evolution entitled "Paleoanthropology of the Omo Kibish Formation, Southern Ethiopia."
Later Prehistory of West Turkana Project, Kenya.
Between 2007-2013, I was co-director with Elisabeth Hildebrand of the Later Prehistory of West Turkana Project. This project focuses on Holocene-age archaeology in the Central Turkana District. My role in the project involved reconnaissance and survey. Since 2013, Hildebrand has continued as sole director.
Origins of Complex Projectile Technology
This project, carried out with Mat Sisk, Justin Pargeter, and others, used experiments to gauge the effectiveness of various kinds of hypothetical stone projectile points and to develop criteria for recognizing prehistoric hunting weaponry.
Excavations at ‘Ubeidiya, Israel
This project (1992-1999), carried out with colleagues Ofer Bar-Yosef, Claude Guérin, Eitan Tchernov, Sabine Gaudzinski, and Miriam Belmaker, investigated Early Pleistocene paleontological and archaeological levels at the oldest archaeological site in Israel.
Microwear Analysis of Levantine Middle Paleolithic Stone Tools.
This was my doctoral thesis project. I am no longer involved in microwear research.