Martin H. Welker, Ph.D.
Assistant Curator of Zooarchaeology
I am an anthropological archaeologist, specializing in zooarchaeology (the study of animal remains from archaeological sites). As the Assistant Curator of Zooarchaeology at the Arizona State Museum, my research explores human decision-making processes, especially those related to the interaction between human communities and animals in their environment. Animals play a huge role in human life as food, pets, transport, protection, and hunting aids, among other things. I use a combination of zooarchaeological analysis, biomorphometrics, and human behavioral ecology to study these and other aspects of past human life. I am particularly interested in questions relating to human subsistence, the management and adaptation of domestic animal species, and species translocation.
The Stanley J. Olsen Laboratory of Zooarchaeology provides a dynamic working environment and is supported by a small group of volunteers. Our current research centers on two themes:
Contact:
Martin H. Welker, Ph.D.
Assistant Curator of Zooarchaeology
Arizona State Museum / University of Arizona
1013 E. University Blvd
P.O. Box 210026
Tucson, AZ 85721-0026
520-626-5579