Lab Members
Dr. John Blong
I am an environmental archeologist. My research examines the interaction between hunter-gatherers and the environment in precontact North America, with a focus on the settlement of the Americas and human use of marginal ecosystems. My broad research goal is to investigate initial human adaptation to the varied ecological landscapes across North America, and human response to subsequent environmental change. I am committed to engagement with descendant communities with ties to the landscapes I study and building collaborative research with benefits to both academic and descendant communities. Research in the Environmental Archaeology Research Laboratory covers many regions in the Western Hemisphere, but most of our research is focused in the Great Basin, Columbia Plateau, and subarctic Alaska regions of North America. I welcome undergraduate and graduate students with shared interests to join the Environmental Archaeology Research Laboratory!
Haden Kingrey
PhD Student
I am a PhD student working with Dr. John Blong. Before attending WSU, I received my bachelor’s degree in anthropology and history from the University of Oregon in 2019, and I received my master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2022. For my dissertation, I will be expanding on my thesis research which utilized protein residue and starch grain analyses of ground stone tools to recognize Paleolithic diets and foraging behaviors in the Great Basin. My CRM experience has included working for the Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Oregon and for SWCA Environmental Consultants in Nevada.
Jennifer Cuthbertson
PhD Student
I am a PhD student in archaeology working with John Blong, with an MA in Anthropology from Boise State University. Primarily, my research interests include the study of paleoenvironments, traditional land use, and how the changes in climate and available resources impact these uses over time. My Master’s work involved the use of Graphics Information Systems maps and environmental variables–including soil types, elevation, and water availability–to study associations between heavy densities of sites and resources. With my current and future research, I hope to continue the use of botanical analyses and mapping programs to study the ways in which people, particularly throughout the Great Basin, have interacted with their changing environments and resources over time.
Jordan Thompson
PhD Student
I am a PhD student working with Dr. Rachel Horowitz and Dr. John Blong. I received a Bachelor of Science in anthropology with a minor in geology at Portland State University in 2016 and a master’s degree in anthropology at the University of Idaho in 2022. My archaeological experience includes working with the National Park Service, The US Forest Service, several CRM firms throughout the western US, and the Nez Perce Tribe. I am a National Science Foundation Research Trainee in the Rivers, Watersheds, and Communities program, which is a collaborative interdisciplinary team of students and community partners committed to developing community led solutions to the growing water crisis in the Columbia River Basin. My dissertation research will use geoarchaeological approaches, lithic analysis, and geochemical sourcing of raw stone material to explore changing landscape and resource use by the Nez Perce (Nimíipuu) in the context of social and ecodynamics over time in the liminal territory of the Bitterroot Mountains, between the Southern Columbia Plateau and the Plains region.
Sam Neunzig
MA Student
I am currently a Masters student in Archeology working with John Blong as my advisor. I was previously an undergraduate at WSU where I worked with John Blong and other WSU anthropology faculty on a variety of projects including 3D modelling of coprolites and the Kelly Forks excavations. My interests are primarily in projectile technology studied through the combined use of experimental archeology, botanical, lithic, and osteological analyses. This research is primarily concentrated in Alaska, in the areas surrounding ice patches due to their excellent preservation of organic materials which, along with previous collections, I intend to use to potentially create a timeline of adoption of the bow and arrow instead of the atlatl using preserved materials.
Taylor Haskett
MA Student
I am a master’s student in the archaeology track working with John Blong. Before attending Washington State I received my bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Idaho State University in 2022 and I have been doing cultural resource management (CRM) projects since. My own experience doing CRM duties has included working for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Forest Service, Idaho Museum of Natural History, and the Idaho National Laboratory. My research interests are focused on Great Basin archaeology and indigenous archaeology, with a regional focus in southern Idaho. My thesis research will concentrate on the usage of lava tube caves on the Snake River Plain during the Medieval Warm Period.