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Shannon McPherron is a Paleolithic archaeologist primarily interested in the evolution of hominin cultural abilities during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic. He is currently involved in field projects in southwest France (Haut de Combe-Capelle and the Roc de Combe-Capelle), in Morocco (Jebel Irhoud and Rhafas), and in Ethiopia (Dikika), and he is working on the analysis and publication of excavations at Jonzac, Roc de Marsal and Pech de l’Azé IV. The French projects are generating new data on hominin adaptations just prior to the arrival of anatomical modern humans, and the African projects are generating new data from the Middle Stone Age at or soon after the appearance of modern humans. This fieldwork has also involved developing new computer assisted technologies for excavating and analyzing archaeological sites. One theme in this work has been techniques for the recognition and documentation of site formation processes. McPherron is interested in lithic technology and has published on the significance of variability in handaxe shape. He is currently working on Mousterian handaxes and less well understood aspects of Mousterian assemblage variability.
Department of Human Evolution
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
D-04103 Leipzig
Germany
| phone: | 0049 (0) 341 3550 363 |
| Secr: | 0049 (0) 341 3550 350 |
| fax: | 0049 (0) 341 3550 399 |
| email: | mcpherro eva.mpg.de |
