Anthropology

Data-Driven Paleoethnobotany on the Yucatan Peninsula and Beyond

Mario Zimmermann
Lora Bryning Redford postdoctoral
fellow, University of Puget Sound

Monday, February 6, 2023, 3:00 pm, 1208A Turlington Hall

While human-plant interactions and land use practices among the Maya have traditionally received a fair amount of attention by the archaeological community, many case studies continue to produce overwhelmingly qualitative datasets. In this talk, I will outline how approaches such as (near)surface surveys, multivariate statistics, and molecular networking help in creating and amplifying quantitative data on the macro and microbotanical as well as the metabolomic level. I will use past and ongoing research objectives and results that showcase how interdisciplinary projects of this type can contribute to the understanding of past foodways, ethnopharmacology, and changes in both environmental and social circumstances.

Mario Zimmermann is the 2022/23 Lora Bryning Redford postdoctoral fellow at the University of Puget Sound. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán and completed his dissertation at Washington State University in 2019. Dr. Zimmermann is a specialist in paleoethnobotany and chemical residue studies. His scholarly work spans governmental, student and community-centered projects in the Maya Area, as well as collaborations with CRM, tribal, and international partners in the US. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals seven times; has co-authored 14 book chapters; and served as a co-editor of two books. Lastly, his teaching experience extends to undergraduate programs in anthropology, archaeology, history, and tourism.