New Research by Sean Downey and Randall Haas Uncovers Warning Signs for Stone Age Population Collapse

Following the arrival of early agricultural crops from southwest Asia, ancient European societies experienced a series of population booms followed by a collapse that historical scientists are still working to explain. New research from the University of Maryland published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) uncovers indicators—called early warning signals—that foretold of this dramatic shift in population long before it happened.   

UMD Anthropologists Engage in New International, Interdisciplinary Research Program on Soils and Human Cultural Dynamics During the Holocene

This summer, Dr. Sean Downey, assistant professor of anthropology, and Dr. Bruce James, emeritus faculty in environmental sciences and technology, took four UMD graduate students (including anthropology students Kevin Gibbons and Adriane Michaelis) to southwest Germany to participate in the first meeting of a two-year joint graduate training program in soil sciences, anthropology, and archaeology. The UMD group collaborated with faculty and graduate students at the University of Tübingen from complimentary research backgrounds.

The Health and Well-Being of Newly “DACAmented” Immigrant Young Adults in Maryland

This project examines the health and well-being of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients living in Maryland. In June 2012, the Obama Administration announced the DACA program, which provides undocumented young adults who came to the United States as children temporaryrelief from deportation and legal work authorization. Despite these gains, DACA recipients still face exclusion in the realm of health care, as they are barred from federally-funded public insurance and may not be offered employment-based insurance.

Center for Research and Collaboration in the Indigenous Americas

The Center for Research and Collaboration in the Indigenous Americas (CRACIA) brings together faculty, researchers, students, practitioners, and indigenous affiliates to expand the knowledge and resources of Amazonian Studies at the University of Maryland and the surrounding region. The Center fosters a cohesive community for research and program creation through seminars, conferences, film showings, courses, lectures, and roundtable discussions by members and visitors. The Center has an office in Woods Hall where it provides a home, resources, and support to visiting scholars.

The Archaeology of Ireland’s Early Modern Period: The Formation and Transformation of Irish identities and the Irish Diaspora

This summer, Dr. Stephen Brighton, associate professor of anthropology and director of The Archaeology of Ireland’s Early Modern Period, led a group of UMD students into the second field season in Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland.

Skibbereen is located 51 miles (82 km) southeast of Cork City. It became infamous as a metaphor for the impacts and horrific sufferings of the Great Starvation. In the summer of 2015 the excavations focused on six cabins located on the heights above the town of Skibbereen.

Health Care Access for Booming Immigrant Populations on Maryland's Eastern Shore

Researchers from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland reveal the surprising scope of new immigrant populations living and working along Maryland’s Eastern Shore and raise concerns about how an already overburdened rural health care system is struggling to meet basic needs.

Dissertation Research on Resilience and Climate Change in the Chesapeake Bay Region

PhD graduates, Christine Miller Hesed and Katherine J. Johnson, successfully defended their dissertations in May and were hooded by Michael Paolisso, their advisor, at the Spring 2016 Commencement Ceremony. Both Christine and Jo’s dissertation research centered around resilience and climate change in the Chesapeake Bay Region. 

UMD Department of Anthropology: Beyond the Classroom Video!

Learn what you can do with a degree in Anthropology and where it can lead you. Check out the new Beyond the Classroom Video from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland:

Graduate Student Profile: PhD Student Fabio Correa

In 2015 Fabio joined the University of Maryland's doctoral program in Anthropology. Fabio works with his mentor and advisor, Dr. Sean Downey looking at the social dynamics of swidden agriculture. This is the latest step in the continuous evolution of his career, marked by interdisciplinary research challenges.