Middle Stone Age NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates

John Kappelman, Ph.D.

Biological Anthropologist and Geologist
Department of Anthropology
University of Texas at Austin
jkappelman@austin.utexas.edu

I am a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas and serve as co-director of the MSA Project (along with Dr. Lawrence Todd). I am broadly trained in biological anthropology and geology and have conducted research in primate and human evolution, paleoecology, geology, paleomagnetism, and computer imaging, with field projects all across Africa and Asia for the past 35 years. I have worked in Ethiopia since 1992.

My research interests for this project include the overall behavior of Middle Stone Age humans and reconstructions of the ancient habitats and climates. I am interested in directing undergraduate research projects in the taxonomy of the fossil animals (including the fish) that the MSA people collected, estimates of the body size and diversity of this fauna, the stratigraphy and sedimentology of the archaeological sites and the landscape, how we can use paleomagnetism to understand the controlled use of fire, and controlled experiments with the stone tool artefacts. Some student projects will be field-based while others will combine field-generated data with follow-up study in the National Museum in Addis Ababa or work in the computer lab or paleomagnetism lab at UT Austin.

Publications

2014. Kappelman, J., D. Tewabe, L. Todd, M. Feseha, M. Kay, G. Kocurek, B. Nachman, N. Tabor, and M. Yadeta. Another Unique River: a consideration of some of the characteristics of the trunk tributaries of the Nile River in northwestern Ethiopia in relationship to their aquatic food resources. Journal of Human Evolution 77:117-131

2008. Kappelman, John, Mehmet Cihat Alçiçek, Nizamettin Kazancı, Michael Schultz, Mehmet Özkul, and Şevket Şen. First Homo erectus from Turkey and implications for migrations into temperate Eurasia. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 135:110-116. Published online 7 December 2007. DOI 10.1002/ajpa.20739

2006. Huffman, O. F., Y. Zaim, J. Kappelman, D. R. Ruez, Jr., Y. Rizal, F. Aziz, C. Hertler, J. de Vos. Relocation of the 1936 Mojokerto skull discovery site near Perning, East Java. Journal of Human Evolution 50 431-451.

2002. Todd, L.C., M. Glantz, and J. Kappleman. Chilga Kernet: An Acheulean Landscape on Ethiopia’s Western Plateau. Antiquity 76: 611-612.

Other websites

eSkeletons.org

eFossils.org

eForensics.info

eAnthro.org

 

Lawrence Todd, Ph.D.

Archaeologist
Department of Anthropology
Colorado State University
lctodd@colostate.edu

I am Professor Emeritus at Colorado State University and a Research Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and serve with Dr. Kappelman as co-director of this Project. I have over forty years’ experience in field archaeology of foraging peoples. I specialize in large mammal zooarchaeology/taphonomy and site formational analysis. During the last decade, my focus has expanded to include multi-scale regional survey and excavation projects – an approach referred to as landscape taphonomy that emphasizes the interplay between biological, cultural, and physical processes in forming and interpreting the archaeological record. I participate in the Project as an instructor in archaeological excavation, documentation, survey, and analysis methods. I have been part of the team working in the project area since 2002 and currently split my research time between summers in high elevation portions of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and winter field and lab work in Ethiopia.

Publications

2014. Kappelman, J., D. Tewabe, L. Todd, M. Feseha, M. Kay, G. Kocurek, B. Nachman, N. Tabor, and M. Yadeta. Another Unique River: a consideration of some of the characteristics of the trunk tributaries of the Nile River in northwestern Ethiopia in relationship to their aquatic food resources. Journal of Human Evolution 77:117-131

2004. Burger, O, L.C. Todd, T. Stohlgren, P. Burnett, and D. Stephens.  Multi-Scale and Nested-Sampling Techniques for Archaeological Survey. Journal of Field Archaeology 29(3):409-423

2003. John Kappelman, D. Tab Rasmussen, William J. Sanders, Mulugeta Feseha, Thomas Bown, Peter Copeland, Jeff Crabaugh, John Fleagle, Michelle Glantz, Adam Gordon, Bonnie Jacobs, Murat Maga, Kathleen Muldoon, Aaron Pan, Lydia Pyne, Brian Richmond, Timothy Ryan, Erik R. Seiffert, Sevket Sen, Lawrence Todd, Michael C. Wiemann & Alisa Winkle. Oligocene mammals from Ethiopia and faunal exchange between Afro-Arabia and Eurasia. Nature 426:549-552.

2002. Todd, L.C., M. Glantz, and J. Kappleman. Chilga Kernet: An Acheulean Landscape on Ethiopia’s Western Plateau. Antiquity 76: 611-612.

2002. Meltzer, D.J., L.C. Todd, and V.T. Holliday. The Folsom (Paleoindian) Type Site: Past Investigations, Current Studies. American Antiquity67(1):5-36.

2000. Gadbury, C., L. Todd, A.H. Jahren, and R. Amundson. Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Isotopic Composition of Bison Tooth Enamel from the Early Holocene Hudson-Meng Bone Bed, Nebraska. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 157(1-2):79-93.

1998. Jahren, A.H., L.C. Todd, and R.G. Amundson. Stable Isotope Analysis of Bison Bone Samples from the Hudson-Meng Bonebed: Effects of Paleotopography. Journal of Archaeological Science 25:465-475.