Ames, Christopher

Overview

I am an archaeologist specializing in the application of geospatial and earth science techniques to questions about prehistoric human-environmental dynamics and human origins.

Research Areas

Research Overview

My research focuses on prehistoric hunter-gatherer adaptations to changing environments. In particular, I study the ways in which this human-environment dynamic informs our understanding of how and why our species successfully covered the globe. I approach this research from a multi-scalar landscape perspective rooted in evolutionary and ecological theory, and my technical specialties include GIS, geoarchaeology, and stone artefact analysis. My work is highly interdisciplinary and centres on three interconnected themes: 1) the impact of environmental change on hunter-gatherer ecology and mobility patterns; 2) regional and global patterns of hominin dispersal; and, 3) how past landscape change has affected the visibility and distribution of the archaeological record. I am currently pursuing these themes with projects in Jordan and South Africa.

Geographic Focus

Jordan Country
Middle East Geographic Region
South Africa Country

Member Of

Centre for Archaeological Science 2018 -
Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria 2016 -

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Year	Title
2022	Radiometric Dating of Wadi Zarqa Ma’in 1, a Limestone Sinkhole Natural Faunal Trap near the Dead Sea, Using Data from Test Pitting and a Portable Coring System Published In Near Eastern Archaeology
2022	Reconstructing Middle Stone Age mobility patterns from raw material transfers in South Africa’s Still Bay (77–70 ka) technocomplex Published In Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
2022	The Middle to Late Pleistocene transition in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan: A phytolith-based reconstruction of wetland palaeoecology Published In Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
2021	CHARACTERISING MIDDLE STONE AGE CORE FORMS ALONG THE DORING RIVER, SOUTH AFRICA, AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR PAST TECHNOLOGICAL ORGANISATION Published In South African Archaeological Bulletin
2021	Middle to Late Quaternary palaeolandscapes of the central Azraq Basin, Jordan: Deciphering discontinuous records of human-environment dynamics at the arid margin of the Levant Published In Quaternary International
2021	The Forensic Utility of Photogrammetry in Surface Scene Documentation Published In Forensic Anthropology
2020	A Multi-User Mobile GIS Solution for Documenting Large Surface Scatters: An Example from the Doring River, South Africa Published In Journal of Field Archaeology
2020	Beads and bead residues as windows to past behaviours and taphonomy: a case study from Grassridge Rockshelter, Eastern Cape, South Africa Published In Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
2020	Chronostratigraphy, site formation, and palaeoenvironmental context of late pleistocene and holocene occupations at grassridge rock shelter (Eastern Cape, South Africa) Published In Open Quaternary
2020	Evaluating erosional impacts on open-air archaeological sites along the Doring River, South Africa: methods and implications for research prioritization Published In Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
2020	Exploring Mid-Late Pleistocene lithic procurement strategies at Shishan Marsh 1: Preliminary geochemical characterization of chert sources around the Greater Azraq Oasis Area, Jordan Published In Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
2020	Robberg Material Procurement and Transport in the Doring River Catchment: Evidence from the Open-Air Locality of Uitspankraal 9, Western Cape, South Africa Published In Journal of African Archaeology
2020	The effects of heating ostrich eggshell on bead manufacturing: An experimental approach Published In Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
2019	Faunal remains from recent excavations at Shishan Marsh 1 (SM1), a Late Lower Paleolithic open-air site in the Azraq Basin, Jordan Published In Quaternary Research (United States)
2019	The Doring River Archaeology Project: approaching the evolution of human land use patterns in the Western Cape, South Africa Published In PaleoAnthropology
2017	Revisiting the Holocene occupations at Grassridge Rockshelter, Eastern Cape, South Africa Published In South African Archaeological Bulletin

2016	Middle Pleistocene subsistence in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan: Protein residue and other proxies Published In Journal of Archaeological Science
2016	Of Rocks and Water: Towards an Archaeology of Place Published In GEOARCHAEOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
2015	Middle and Late Pleistocene Landscape Evolution at the Druze Marsh Site in Northeast Jordan: Implications for Population Continuity and Hominin Dispersal Published In Geoarchaeology
2015	Test excavations at Wadi Zarqa Ma'in 1, a Natural Sinkhole Faunal Trap Site, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Published In Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
2014	Holocene book review: Arid and Semi-Arid Geomorphology Published In The Holocene
2013	Interglacial and glacial desert refugia and the Middle Paleolithic of the Azraq Oasis, Jordan Published In Quaternary International

Chapter

Year	Title
2022	Azraq Basin, Jordan Published In Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology Publisher Springer Nature
2021	From wetlands to deserts Published In Palaeolandscapes in Archaeology Publisher Routledge
2021	From wetlands to deserts Published In Palaeolandscapes in Archaeology Publisher Taylor & Francis
2021	From wetlands to deserts: The role of water in the prehistoric occupation of eastern Jordan Published In Palaeolandscapes in Archaeology: Lessons for the Past and Future
2017	Quaternary Sediments and Soils of Jordan Published In Quaternary of the Levant Publisher Cambridge University Press
2017	Quaternary Sediments and Soils of Jordan Published In Quaternary of the Levant Publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Conference Paper

Year	Title
2014	Dissecting palimpsests in a Late Lower and Middle Paleolithic flint acquisition site on the Madaba Plateau, Jordan Published In Quaternary International
2014	Paleoenvironmental change and settlement dynamics in the Druze Marsh: Results of recent excavation at an open-air Paleolithic site Published In Quaternary International

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Degree	Research Title	Advisee
Doctor of Philosophy	Prehistoric land use and mobility patterns in the Doring River catchment	Shaw, Matthew

Education And Training

Ph.D., McGill University, Department of Anthropology 2009 - 2014
M.A., McGill University, Department of Anthropology 2007 - 2009
B.A., University of British Columbia, Department of Anthropology 2001 - 2006

Orcid Id

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8754-2512 (confirmed)

Research Areas

Research Overview

My research focuses on prehistoric hunter-gatherer adaptations to changing environments. In particular, I study the ways in which this human-environment dynamic informs our understanding of how and why our species successfully covered the globe. I approach this research from a multi-scalar landscape perspective rooted in evolutionary and ecological theory, and my technical specialties include GIS, geoarchaeology, and stone artefact analysis. My work is highly interdisciplinary and centres on three interconnected themes: 1) the impact of environmental change on hunter-gatherer ecology and mobility patterns; 2) regional and global patterns of hominin dispersal; and, 3) how past landscape change has affected the visibility and distribution of the archaeological record. I am currently pursuing these themes with projects in Jordan and South Africa.

Geographic Focus

Jordan Country
Middle East Geographic Region
South Africa Country

Member Of

Centre for Archaeological Science 2018 -
Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria 2016 -

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Year	Title
2022	Radiometric Dating of Wadi Zarqa Ma’in 1, a Limestone Sinkhole Natural Faunal Trap near the Dead Sea, Using Data from Test Pitting and a Portable Coring System Published In Near Eastern Archaeology
2022	Reconstructing Middle Stone Age mobility patterns from raw material transfers in South Africa’s Still Bay (77–70 ka) technocomplex Published In Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
2022	The Middle to Late Pleistocene transition in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan: A phytolith-based reconstruction of wetland palaeoecology Published In Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
2021	CHARACTERISING MIDDLE STONE AGE CORE FORMS ALONG THE DORING RIVER, SOUTH AFRICA, AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR PAST TECHNOLOGICAL ORGANISATION Published In South African Archaeological Bulletin
2021	Middle to Late Quaternary palaeolandscapes of the central Azraq Basin, Jordan: Deciphering discontinuous records of human-environment dynamics at the arid margin of the Levant Published In Quaternary International
2021	The Forensic Utility of Photogrammetry in Surface Scene Documentation Published In Forensic Anthropology
2020	A Multi-User Mobile GIS Solution for Documenting Large Surface Scatters: An Example from the Doring River, South Africa Published In Journal of Field Archaeology
2020	Beads and bead residues as windows to past behaviours and taphonomy: a case study from Grassridge Rockshelter, Eastern Cape, South Africa Published In Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
2020	Chronostratigraphy, site formation, and palaeoenvironmental context of late pleistocene and holocene occupations at grassridge rock shelter (Eastern Cape, South Africa) Published In Open Quaternary
2020	Evaluating erosional impacts on open-air archaeological sites along the Doring River, South Africa: methods and implications for research prioritization Published In Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
2020	Exploring Mid-Late Pleistocene lithic procurement strategies at Shishan Marsh 1: Preliminary geochemical characterization of chert sources around the Greater Azraq Oasis Area, Jordan Published In Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
2020	Robberg Material Procurement and Transport in the Doring River Catchment: Evidence from the Open-Air Locality of Uitspankraal 9, Western Cape, South Africa Published In Journal of African Archaeology
2020	The effects of heating ostrich eggshell on bead manufacturing: An experimental approach Published In Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
2019	Faunal remains from recent excavations at Shishan Marsh 1 (SM1), a Late Lower Paleolithic open-air site in the Azraq Basin, Jordan Published In Quaternary Research (United States)
2019	The Doring River Archaeology Project: approaching the evolution of human land use patterns in the Western Cape, South Africa Published In PaleoAnthropology
2017	Revisiting the Holocene occupations at Grassridge Rockshelter, Eastern Cape, South Africa Published In South African Archaeological Bulletin

2016	Middle Pleistocene subsistence in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan: Protein residue and other proxies Published In Journal of Archaeological Science
2016	Of Rocks and Water: Towards an Archaeology of Place Published In GEOARCHAEOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
2015	Middle and Late Pleistocene Landscape Evolution at the Druze Marsh Site in Northeast Jordan: Implications for Population Continuity and Hominin Dispersal Published In Geoarchaeology
2015	Test excavations at Wadi Zarqa Ma'in 1, a Natural Sinkhole Faunal Trap Site, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Published In Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
2014	Holocene book review: Arid and Semi-Arid Geomorphology Published In The Holocene
2013	Interglacial and glacial desert refugia and the Middle Paleolithic of the Azraq Oasis, Jordan Published In Quaternary International

Chapter

Year	Title
2022	Azraq Basin, Jordan Published In Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology Publisher Springer Nature
2021	From wetlands to deserts Published In Palaeolandscapes in Archaeology Publisher Routledge
2021	From wetlands to deserts Published In Palaeolandscapes in Archaeology Publisher Taylor & Francis
2021	From wetlands to deserts: The role of water in the prehistoric occupation of eastern Jordan Published In Palaeolandscapes in Archaeology: Lessons for the Past and Future
2017	Quaternary Sediments and Soils of Jordan Published In Quaternary of the Levant Publisher Cambridge University Press
2017	Quaternary Sediments and Soils of Jordan Published In Quaternary of the Levant Publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Conference Paper

Year	Title
2014	Dissecting palimpsests in a Late Lower and Middle Paleolithic flint acquisition site on the Madaba Plateau, Jordan Published In Quaternary International
2014	Paleoenvironmental change and settlement dynamics in the Druze Marsh: Results of recent excavation at an open-air Paleolithic site Published In Quaternary International

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Degree	Research Title	Advisee
Doctor of Philosophy	Prehistoric land use and mobility patterns in the Doring River catchment	Shaw, Matthew

Education And Training

Ph.D., McGill University, Department of Anthropology 2009 - 2014
M.A., McGill University, Department of Anthropology 2007 - 2009
B.A., University of British Columbia, Department of Anthropology 2001 - 2006

Orcid Id

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8754-2512 (confirmed)

Overview

Overview

Research Areas

Research Overview

Geographic Focus

Affiliation

Member Of

Publications

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Chapter

Conference Paper

Supervision

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Background

Education And Training

Identity

Orcid Id

Overview

Research Areas

Research Overview

Geographic Focus

Affiliation

Member Of

Publications

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Chapter

Conference Paper

Supervision

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Background

Education And Training

Identity

Orcid Id

Visualisations

Research Areas

Geographic Focus