Kevin Smith 

I am a current Ph.D. student at UC Davis with an emphasis in archaeology. My interests are deeply tied to topics of technology and human evolution to aqueous environments. My specific research interests surround the production and use of terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene lithic technologies in the far West of North America, and specifically what roles these early flaked stone tools played in Paleoindian subsistence systems. My Master’s thesis research concentrated on deciphering the organization of production of single-piece shell fishhooks on the Southern California Channel Islands during the late Holocene. I use an integrative multi-methodological approach to studies of ancient technologies which integrates conventional analytical techniques with replicative studies (experimental archaeology).

In addition to research on hunter-gatherer subsistence adaptations, I lead a variety of hands-on workshops for undergraduate and graduate students on topics ranging from ethnobotony to bone and stone tool manufacture. These weekend workshops afford students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with technologies and knowledge that proved pivotal to the survival of our ancient ancestors. In the traditional technologies workshops students get hands-on experience producing ancient tools with only the materials, and techniques that were prehistorically available. Special attention is paid to understanding and distinguishing between production-wear patterning and use-wear patterning. These workshops provide excellent opportunities for students to gain personal experience with ancient tools and subsistence strategies that only adds to the knowledge derived from formal university classes.

Young Hall 205 ​
Department of Anthropology 
University of California, Davis 
One Shields Avenue
Davis , California 95616, USA, 
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Email: kncsmith@ucdavis.edu