Lauren Malone is a PhD archaeology student in the Department of Anthropology. Through a zooarchaeological lens, her global research investigates the dynamic relationships between humans and aquatic landscapes through time. In East Africa, she investigates how hunter gatherers utilized bone fishing harpoons nearly 10,000 years ago to form strategies in environmental adaptation, technological innovation, and social networking.
Currently, Malone is exploring how communities along North America’s Gulf Coast have (re)shaped their fisheries across time, and how these practices can inform us on modern fishery sustainability in the wake of increased environmental and anthropogenic pressures. Alongside her research, Malone is also passionate about museum studies and the ethical stewardship necessary for collections-based research and care.
Malone is a member of the Department of Anthropology’s Zooarchaeology Laboratory, Southeastern Archaeology Laboratory, and the Laboratory for the Analysis of Early Food-Webs (LAEF). Beyond her department, she is a Graduate Student Affiliate for the Office of Public Scholarship and the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE2).
Outside of McMillan Hall, you may find her working with the Saint Louis Science Center, fishing in Forest Park, or eating at one of the many amazing restaurants St. Louis has to offer.