Emily Coco is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Yale Paleoarchaeology Lab, working with
Dr. Jessica Thompson. Emily received her PhD in Anthropology from New York
University, under the supervision of Dr. Radu Iovita. For her dissertation, Emily used a
combination of agent-based modeling and archaeological field survey to examine stone
tool recycling behaviors at Paleolithic surface deposits in Kazakhstan.
Emily’s research focuses on investigating hunter-gatherer mobility patterns and
decisions within dynamic paleolandscapes. By building computational models, she
explores the “how” and “why” behind ancient population movements to gain insights into
human behavior during the Paleolithic.
In her current position, Emily is studying how natural and human processes work
together to affect long-term ecosystem change. This research is focused on
investigating and modeling how human environmental modifications interact with natural
climatic fluctuations to contribute to the present-day ecosystem configuration in Central
Africa.
Emily also actively contributes to various projects, including: surveying and excavating
new Paleolithic sites in Kazakhstan; developing new database frameworks that facilitate
data integration and knowledge sharing within paleoanthropology; modeling the impact
of taphonomic and research biases on archaeological interpretations; and applying rock
surface dating methods at surface contexts in Kazakhstan.