Research
My research interests within human evolution are broad but can be summarised as:
- The articulation between ecology, demography and behaviour in the archaeological record
- Identifying and analysing the role of refugia in human evolution
- Diverse applications of 2D and 3D geometric morphometrics in archaeology
- The African Middle Stone Age and modern human origins
- Developing and testing quantitative methods and frameworks for deciphering cultural variability
- Collaborative and remote research designs, including research synthesis.
I am also involved in archaeological fieldwork projects in Senegal, Kenya and the UK.
Inter and intra-regional analysis of the African Middle Stone Age
My research involves broad-scale quantitative analysis of stone tool technologies, both at the assemblage level and via two-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of individual artefact classes, like points. I am particularly interested in the articulation between lithic technology and palaeoenvironmental change during the African Middle Stone Age.
Exploring drivers of cultural innovation in archaeological populations
My research tackles how changes in the size, density, and inter-connectivity of human populations, as well as ecological variables like resource risk, abundance, and predictability, both independently drive and interact to effect the rate and patterning of cultural innovations observed in the archaeological record. I am involved in studies spanning time periods and geographical regions, from early Neanderthals in Western Europe to analogies with recent hunter-gatherers.
The role of ecological refugia in human evolution
I am working on a range of projects exploring the role of ecological refugia within human evolution. This includes defining refugia for human populations in the past, investigating how core versus marginal landscapes influence variability in the archaeological record, and how niche dynamics impact divergence within and between closely related species.