Workshops and Lectures

January 10th, 2025 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Join us for this engaging lecture which will explore the ritual significance of plant-based foods in the ancient Maya world, focusing on the paleoethnobotanical analysis of burial and cache offerings from the site of Holtun, Guatemala. By examining ceramic sherds from the Preclassic to Terminal Classic periods (800 BC - AD 900), we uncover evidence of diverse plant foods, including maize, cacao, manioc, yam, and malanga. Using advanced techniques like starch analysis, liquid chromatography, and Raman spectroscopy, this presentation will highlight how these findings shed light on ritual practices, social dynamics, and dietary patterns in Maya society.

Kimberly Batres is an Anthropology PhD student in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University, specializing in archaeology with a focus in Maya Archaeology. Her research focuses on identifying patterns of socio-economic systems in ancient Maya diet through the identification and analysis of macro and micro plant remains. She currently focuses this research in the department of Petén, Guatemala at the Preclassic Maya sites of El Mirador and Nakbe.
 

March 28th, 2025 | 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Join us for an engaging talk by PhD Candidate for the School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Jayde Hirniak, on the role of volcanic ash (tephra) in advancing archaeological and paleontological research through tephrochronology. She will highlight recent breakthroughs in detecting cryptotephra—non-visible ash layers that can be traced over thousands of kilometers—and their impact on understanding human evolution. Key discoveries, including the identification of the 74 ka Youngest Toba Tuff in South Africa and Ethiopia, enable high-resolution correlations across regions previously thought unconnected. This upcoming lecture will demonstrate how these innovations are reshaping our ability to address major questions about early human behavior across vast geographic areas