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Dr. Erin Thornton Dept. of Anthropology - Stable Isotope Lab

Prospective Students

Graduate Student Opportunities

I am currently accepting graduate students (at the MA or Ph.D. level)  interested in applying  zooarchaeology and/or stable isotope analysis to research questions within New World archaeology. I am open to working with students in many geographic or cultural areas, but I am particularly interested in recruiting students interested in Mesoamerican archaeology (my primary area of specialization).

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Tikal

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Current projects with potential for graduate student research include:

  •  Zooarchaeology at the Late Preclassic center of El Mirador (Peten, Guatemala)
  • Zooarchaeology of ritual cave sites within the Cancuen region (Peten, Guatemala)
  • Zooarchaeology at the inland salt-production site of Salinas de los Nueve Cerros (Peten, Guatemala)
  • Various isotopic analyses of faunal remains (e.g., deer, quail) from Maya archaeological sites to assess potential animal husbandry and exchange, as well as past environmental conditions and hunting catchment zones.
    • [NOTE: The isotopic projects would require students to apply for outside funding through sources such as Sigma-Xi or NSF. I am very willing to help students generate these proposals.]

Please note that these are not the only opportunities for research in my lab, and that I encourage students to generate and pursue their own ideas for research.

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Find out more about the WSU graduate program in Anthropology. Serious students interested in working with me should also contact me directly before applying to the graduate program (erin.thornton@wsu.edu).