AARON ARMSTRONG Curriculum Vitae

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1 AARON ARMSTRONG Curriculum Vitae Department of Anthropology University of Minnesota EDUCATION 2015 Ph.D., Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota. Dissertation: Small Mammal Taphonomy and Utilization by Middle Stone Age Humans in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa M.A., Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota B.A. (with honors), Department of Anthropology, Hamline University; Magna cum laude B.A. (with honors), Department of History, Hamline University; Magna cum laude. PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT 2017 Minnesota State Mankato, Department of Anthropology, Adjunct Professor University of Minnesota, Department of Anthropology, Lecturer & Adjunct Professor University of Minnesota, Department of Anthropology, Research Fellow Iziko Museums of South Africa, Archaeology, Researcher Fellow University of Minnesota, Department of Anthropology, Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, Teaching Assistant. PUBLICATIONS 2018 Aaron Armstrong and Martha Tappen. A comparative ethno-zooarchaeological analysis of Efe forager prey remains from the Ituri Rainforest, Democratic Republic of Congo. Journal of Archaeological Science, in prep. 1

2 2017 Aaron Armstrong. Taphonomic analysis of leporid remains consumed by a captive turkey vulture (Cathartes aura). International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, in prep Aaron Armstrong. A taphonomic and zooarchaeological assessment of faunas accumulated by Dobe!Kung foragers in Botswana. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, in prep Aaron Armstrong. Small mammal utilization by Middle Stone Age Humans at Die Kelders Cave 1 and Pinnacle Point Site 5-6, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Journal of Human Evolution, 101, Aaron Armstrong. Eagles, owls, and coyotes (oh my!): Taphonomic analysis of rabbits and guinea pigs fed to captive raptors and coyotes. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 5, Aaron Armstrong and Graham Avery. Taphonomy of Verreaux's Eagle (Aquila verreauxii) prey accumulations from the Cape Floral Region, South Africa: Implications for archaeological interpretations. Journal of Archaeological Science, 52, GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS 2017 Individual Research Grant, L.S.B. Leakey Foundation. Kalahari Transfrontier Park Archaeological and Taphonomic survey. In preparation 2017 Archaeometry Research Grant, National Science Foundation. Stable Isotopes, the Summer/Winter Rainfall Gradient, and Paleo-Fluctuations along Africa s Southern Coast. In preparation 2013 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Travel Grant for Paleoanthropology Society Meetings, Graduate School, University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, Graduate School, University of Minnesota Individual Research Grant, L.S.B. Leakey Foundation. - Declined Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (with Martha Tappen), National Science Foundation Scholarly Travel Grant, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, University of Minnesota Anthropology Block Grant (3 awards), Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota Thesis Research Grant, Graduate School, University of Minnesota Pre-Thesis Research Grant, Graduate School, University of Minnesota. 2

3 2006 Graduate Research Partnership Program Fellowship (with Martha Tappen), College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota. CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS 2015 Aaron Armstrong. Taphonomic evidence for human accumulation of small mammals from Pinnacle Point Site 5-6 and other Middle Stone Age sites in South Africa. Paper to be presented at Building the Hunter-gatherer s Paleoscape on the South African Coast, Organized Session at the 2015 Society for American Archaeology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA Aaron Armstrong. Small mammal utilization by Middle Stone Age humans at Die Kelders Cave 1, Western Cape, South Africa. Conference paper presented at the 2013 Paleoanthropology Society Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI German Montoya-Sanhueza, Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan, Aaron Armstrong. Preliminary results of the bone microstructure of Bathyergus suillus (Bathyergidae; Rodentia). Conference poster presented at the 2013 University of Cape Town Biodiversity Conference, Cape Town, South Africa Aaron Armstrong. The modern human diet: evidence for Middle Stone Age dietary diversity. Conference poster presented at the 2012 University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Showcase, Minneapolis, MN German Montoya-Sanhueza, Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan, Aaron Armstrong. Deciphering autoecological traits of a subterranean rodent Bathyergus suillus using bone histology. Conference poster presented at the 2012 University of Cape Town Biodiversity Conference, Cape Town, South Africa John Soderberg, Martha Tappen, Aaron Armstrong. Using 3D modeling to differentiate between notches produced by hammerstone percussion and carnivore gnawing. Conference poster presented at the 2008 Paleoanthropology Society Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA Gilbert Tostevin, Aaron Armstrong, John Soderberg. Using 3-D modeling to improve measurements of edge angles on lithic artifacts. Conference paper presented at 2006 Computer Applications in Archaeology Annual Conference, Fargo, ND. INVITED TALKS 2012 Evidence for broad spectrum diet at Die Kelders Cave 1. South African Archaeological Society, Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. 3

4 2012 Small mammal utilization during the Middle Stone Age at Die Kelders Cave 1. Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, South Africa Small prey, modern human behavior, and paleoenvironments. Paleo Interest Group, University of Cape Town, South Africa What do Middle Stone Age faunal remains tell us about early modern human diets? Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town. DEPARTMENTAL TALKS 2014 Application of experimental taphonomic assemblages towards the interpretation of Middle Stone Age archaeofaunas. Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota Faux faunas and Middle Stone Age rubbish: How coyote excrement, bird vomit, and rodent bones are more important than you might think. Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota Eagle, owl, and coyote experimental feeding project: What do the results tell us about archaeofaunas? Archaeology Consortium, University of Minnesota Small mammal taphonomy: Raptor and carnivore experimental and archaeological research. Archaeology Consortium, University of Minnesota Detecting small prey accumulators in the fossil record. Archaeology Consortium, University of Minnesota Modern human origins and the South African coastal cave sites. Archaeology Consortium, University of Minnesota Recent excavations at Pinnacle Point South Africa, sites 13B and 5-6. Archaeology Consortium, University of Minnesota. TEACHING EXPERIENCE 2017 Instructor of Record: Introduction to Archaeology (Anth 210), Department of Anthropology, Minnesota State Mankato (taught in fall 2017) Instructor of Record: Neanderthals: Biology and Culture of Humanity s Nearest Relative (Anth 4077), Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota (taught in: spr. 2017) Instructor of Record: The Anthropology of Material Culture (Anth 5221), Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota (taught in: spr. 2017). 4

5 Instructor of Record: Human Evolution (Anth 1001), Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota (taught in: spr. 2014, sum. 2014, sum. 2015, fall 2016, spr. 2017) Instructor of Record: Zooarchaeology Laboratory Methods (Anth 5402), Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota (taught in: fall 2015) Teaching Assistant: Zooarchaeology: Skeletal Materials for Archaeologists, Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota (multiple semesters ) Teaching Assistant: Human Evolution, Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota (multiple semesters ) Teaching Assistant: Sex, Evolution, and Behavior, Department of Anthropology & Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota (multiple semesters ). COURSE GUEST LECTURES Interpreting Ancient Bone, Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota Intro to Archaeology, Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota Zooarchaeology, Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota Human Evolution, Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota Sex, Evolution, and Behavior, Department of Anthropology & Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota. FIELD WORK & RESEARCH Current Current Taphonomic and environmental assessment of Cape eagle-owl prey remains. This is a collaborative project with Graham Avery, Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town. We are collecting prey remains from Cape eagle-owl roosts in the Western Cape and conducting taphonomic and ethological analyses of the material. We will then compare the results to Stone Age faunal remains to discern the potential role of Cape eagle-owls (or other nocturnal birds of prey) in the accumulations of fossils. Kalahari Transfrontier Park archaeological and taphonomic survey: I am in the early stages of implementing an archaeological survey of portions of KTP. Coupled with the survey is collection of prey remains from the carnivore and avian predators that inhabit the park. Of particular interest are the predator accumulations of Raphicerus sp., a taxa 5

6 that is common at fossil sites but is difficult to taphonomically link to human, raptor, or carnivore predation. Current Current Zooarchaeological and taphonomic research of the Middle Stone Age faunas in South Africa: I am currently applying for funding to study the small mammals from a range of coastal and near-coastal South African MSA sites. I have permission to study the faunas from Klasies River Main, Ysterfontein 1, and Diepkloof Rock Shelter and will compare these results to my previous research at Die Kelders Cave 1 and Pinnacle Point 5-6. There is increasing evidence for small mammal utilization by Middle Stone Age humans (particularly during MIS stage 4) in southern Africa (Armstrong 2016); the faunas from KRM, YFT1, and DRS will provide further temporal and spatial depth and shed light on changes in hunting/foraging adaptations in relation to environmental change. Zooarchaeological and taphonomic study of Efe ethnoarchaeological assemblage collected in the Ituri Rainforest, Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr. Martha Tappen collected and curates this assemblage; we are currently studying the assemblage, documenting taxonomic abundances, bone surface modifications, skeletal-part frequencies, and breakage analysis. This study will produce a control assemblage which can be used to identify forager derived archaeofaunas Mossel Bay Museum, South Africa; 5-week data collection and analysis of Pinnacle Point site 5-6 MSA mammal fauna Mossel Bay, South Africa; 4-week field season at MSA sites Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa; 18-month data collection and zooarchaeology and taphonomic analysis of Die Kelders Cave 1 and modern raptor prey assemblages Pinnacle Point site 5-6, South Africa; six-week field season at MSA site Pinnacle Point site 5-6, South Africa; eight-week field season at MSA site Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa; conducted pilot study and preliminary analysis of Die Kelders Cave 1 faunal materials Pinnacle Point site 5-6, South Africa; eight-week field season at MSA site Pinnacle Point cave 13B, South Africa; eight-week field season at MSA site Mossel Bay Museum, South Africa; two-week taphonomic and zooarchaeological analysis of faunal remains from Pinnacle Point site 13B Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia; eight-week field season at Early Pleistocene site Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia; assisted Dr. M. Tappen with taphonomic analysis of faunal remains from Dmanisi. 6

7 Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN; six-month zooarchaeological analysis of faunal remains and NAGPRA documentation of human remains from southern Minnesota archaeological sites Low Birker, England; eight-week field season at Iron Age archaeological site Completed honors thesis on musculoskeletal stress markers from a Mimbres Native American osteoarchaeology collection Internship at the Science Museum of Minnesota; identified and curated human remains and fauna from Native American sites in accordance with NAGPRA. ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Reviewer of research manuscripts for Journal of Human Evolution Reviewer of research manuscripts for The Journal of Historical Biology Reviewer of research manuscripts for Geoarchaeology Reviewer of research manuscripts for Journal of Archaeological Science Reviewer of research manuscripts for the South African Journal of Science Abstract reviewer for American Association of Physical Anthropologist Undergraduate Research Symposium Reviewer for National Research Foundation, South Africa Graduate student advisor to University of Minnesota annual Undergraduate Anthropology Conference Co-chair of the Archaeology Consortium, University of Minnesota Anthropology Graduate Student Organization representative to Counsel of Graduate Students, University of Minnesota. ADVISING Adam Cossette, archaeology laboratory internship and graduate school application process (he was accepted to the University of Iowa for paleontology) Jason Zowin, archaeology laboratory internship. 7

8 Mikaela Rogers, archaeology laboratory internship. COMMUNITY OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT Media outreach and communication to Twin Cities media outlets regarding human evolution, fossil mammals, and the teaching of science in schools. Hosted tours of the Evolutionary Anthropology Laboratories at the University of Minnesota; participated in panel discussions regarding the teaching of evolution and archaeology at the university and high school levels; provided interviews to media outlets regarding current paleoanthropological research Lectured on human pre-history and paleoarchaeology to tenth and eleventh grade history students at Stillwater High School, Stillwater, Minnesota Co-organized and staffed the University of Minnesota Evolutionary Anthropology Laboratories booth at the Minnesota State Fair where I (along with my colleagues) displayed hominin fossil casts, anthropological research posters, and fielded questions from the public about anthropology and my own research Lectured on modern human origins in South Africa to the Archaeology Interest Group at Cretin Derhem Hall High School, St. Paul, Minnesota Staffed the Anthropology table at Stevens Community fair where I displayed hominin fossils and fielded questions about anthropology from the public Gave a talk on megafauna extinctions at the University of Minnesota Undergraduate Anthropology Conference. MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Current-2006 Current-2006 Current-2007 Current-2011 Society for American Archaeology Paleoanthropological Society International Council for Archaeozoology Association of South African Professional Archaeologists HONORS & AWARDS 2015 Honorable mention, Best Dissertation University of Minnesota, Collage of Liberal Arts. 8

9 2003 Graduated with honors in Anthropology and History from Hamline University Recipient of Annual Leland Cooper Award for outstanding graduate in Anthropology from Hamline University Recipient of award for Best Biological Anthropology research Paper at University of Minnesota Annual Anthropology Conference, Minnesota, SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES Current-2011 Designed and implemented dental and bone histology research project on Bathyergus suillus (Cape dune mole-rat) with goal of developing methods for aging individual specimens and distinguish season of death. This project was a collaboration with Dr. Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan and German Montoya-Sanhueza, University of Cape Town Designed and implemented six experimental taphonomic studies in collaboration with the Avery Wildlife Science Center (Forest Lake, MN) and University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Raptor Center. Ten adult rabbits and guinea pigs each were fed to a captive bald eagle, great horned owl, and coyote, totaling 30 rabbit and 30 guinea pigs. I analyzed the prey remains in the laboratory with the help of undergraduate research assistants and a retiree volunteer Curated early Holocene faunal remains from the Capsian culture housed at the University of Minnesota, Department of Anthropology Developed and edited portions of a laboratory manual used in Intro to Human Evolution course at the University of Minnesota; the course fulfills Biological Sciences requirement with enrollment of ~400 students per semester Developed and enhanced existing laboratory exercises and curriculum for Skeletal Materials for Archaeologists, an intensive graduate and undergraduate course designed to teach mammalian skeletal anatomy, identification, and taphonomic methods Developed new curriculum for zooarchaeology section of Introduction to Archaeology course taught annually at the University of Minnesota; developed lab exercises and background information for course section Developed and implemented bone cleaning and curation procedures for non-human comparative skeletal collection for the Evolutionary Anthropology Laboratories at the University of Minnesota. 9

10 GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Dr. Martha Tappen (Advisor, University of Minnesota) Dr. Gilbert Tostevin (University of Minnesota) Dr. Michael Wilson (University of Minnesota) Dr. Curtis Marean (University of Arizona) REFERENCES Dr. Curtis Marean Professor of Anthropology Arizona State University Dr. Martha Tappen Associate Professor of Anthropology University of Minnesota Dr. Graham Avery Curator of Quaternary Paleontology Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town Dr. Gilbert Tostevin Associate Professor of Anthropology University of Minnesota CONTACT INFORMATION Aaron Armstrong Department of Anthropology University of Minnesota 395 Humphrey Center th Ave. South Minneapolis, MN Phone:

JULIE A. PELTON Curriculum Vita

JULIE A. PELTON Curriculum Vita University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Sociology & Anthropology ASH 383 M Omaha, NE 68182 email: jpelton@unomaha.edu phone: (402) 554-4125 EDUCATION The Pennsylvania