Joelle R. Nivens
Ph.D. in Archaeological Anthropology
NYU Department of Anthropology
Email: jrn246@nyu.edu
Current Position
Senior Researcher
Magic Leap Wearable Technology
Research Interests
- Upper Paleolithic in Western Europe
- body ornamentation technologies i.e. bead-making
- raw material processing
- social identity and organization
Current Research
My research focuses on the exploitation of mineral colorants during the Early Upper Paleolithic. In particular, I am interested in the connections these materials draw between different technologies, both quotidian and explicitly symbolic, during the Aurignacian in France’s Vézère Valley region. While southwest France is both the regional focus of my dissertation research and excavation experiences, I have also participated in excavations in Israel, Kenya, and New York City. In addition to mineral colorants, I am also interested in the evolution of personal adornment, social complexity, and the Anthropology of Technology. Next year, I will be continuing my dissertation research in Paris as an NYU Global Research Initiative Fellow through a partnership with the Laboratoire d’Archéologie Moleculaire et Structurale (University of Pierre and Marie Curie).
Publications
[Academia | ResearchGate]Tryon, C. A., Crevecoeur, I., Faith, J. T., Ekshtain, R., Nivens, J., Patterson, D., Mbua, E. N., & Spoor, F. 2015. Late Pleistocene age and archaeological context for the hominin calvaria from GvJm-22 (Lukenya Hill, Kenya). PNAS 112(9): 1-6.
Selected Presentations
Nivens, J. Towards a global understanding of ochre use: methods, definitions, and application. 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Orlando, FL, April 6-10, 2016.
Nivens, J. Beads and Beadmakers: An exploration of Aurignacian Social Organization. Constituting the Human, City University of New York Macaulay Honors College Conference, New York City, NY, April 8, 2011.