Jacob Hendrickson
Graduate Student
B.A. Anthropology and Geography (Double Major), The University of Texas at Austin, 2009
Research interests: archeology, anthropology, geography, place, paleoclimate, environment, desert, water, underwater archeology, springs, hunter-gatherers, lithics, prehistoric trade, southwest, great basin, central texas, trans-pecos, baja, california, new mexico, arizona
Regional focus: North/Northeastern Mexico
With interests including anthropology, geography, archeology, biology, and climatology (to name a few), my research is inherently interdisciplinary. My main project at this time focuses on archeology and paleo-climatology with a geographical skew, exploring the human and environmental histories of the Cuatro Ciénegas Valley of Coahuila, Mexico.
I am also constantly involved with “local” archeology. Whether it be Central Texas or Northern California, I find great interest in local archeology most wherever I may stay. In addition to the several professional societies and organizations I’m involved in, I keep in touch with the amateur archeologist community, as I find working with the interested public a rewarding and essential part of archeology as a whole. Lithic technologies and paleo-climatology/biology are two main “archeological” interests of mine, and I find myself making frequent forays to the field to indulge these interests.
I have always been drawn to the study of the past and to the tangible links to past places and peoples. But beyond this, broader than this inherent interest of mine, is my goal of taking the tangible and not so tangible ties between past and present and establishing a connection. My research is an attempt to understand place through time by utilizing a wide array of tools from the aforementioned sciences. I believe that teaching a deeper understanding of place in the past as well as present will foster greater appreciation and encourage greater conservation of place in the future.