New ARF research argues Clovis spears were pikes
A new publication by ARF researchers Scott Byram, Jun Sunseri, and Kent Lightfoot arguing that Clovis points were used as braced weapons
Demystifying the origin of the highly divergent chloroplast sequence found in Mexican archaeological sunflower remains
A crop domestication center emerged ~5000 years ago in Eastern North America. Native Americans in this area transformed several wild plant species, including sunflower (Helianthus annuus) into staple crops. Archaeological evidence from Eastern North America and genomic evidence from extant cultivated and wild sunflower supports this narrative, and it was once thought that cultivated sunflower did not reach Mexico until after European colonizers established trade routes.
Martha Nuño Diaz-Longo
Graduate Student
Research Website:
Teaching Website:
Martha is a PhD candidate who conducts bioarchaeological research. She received her BA from CSU, Fresno and her MA at CSU, Chico. At the PhD level she hopes to address questions regarding structural violence and how said violence can be seen on the skeleton, especially of those who attempt to cross the U.S./Mexico border.
Region(s):
North America
Research Theme(s):
structural violence, Bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, life course, human rights
Benjamin Blackman
Affiliated Faculty
The Blackman Lab studies how plants adapt to local environments and how crops were domesticated, with an emphasis on studying how these evolutionary processes alter plant-environment interactions during development.
Region(s):
North America
Research Theme(s):
Genetics
Blair Mountain battlefield in the media
Graduate student Brandon Nida is focusing on the 1921 conflict as mountaintop removal threatens the area.
University Demolishing Historic Campus Structure
The University has announced plans to demolish the ca. 1885 Cheney House located on the southeast edge of campus during spring break. Notable for both its distinctive Eastlake Stick Style architecture and historical associations, it has been a Berkeley City Landmark since 1990 and is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. As recently as 2004, the University’s Long Range Development Plan described the house as “a rare survivor of southeast Berkeley’s early private residences” (LRDP 2020: D.1–6).