Photo: Executive Director, GMNH Distinguished Research Professor Fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science Contact Info vdthom@uga.edu I study significant transitions in human history, specializing in the application of archaeological science to the study of collective social formations and the historical ecology of wetland and coastal environments. In the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, my recent research focuses on socioecological histories and zooarchaeological indicators to achieve high resolution, localized histories of human-climate dynamics. More broadly, my work centers on the nature of Indigenous governance by addressing cases that demonstrate the variability in the forms that democratic institutions might take. I am also engaged with NAGPRA (Native American Graves and Repatriation Act,) to make sure that ancestors cared for by UGA are treated respectfully and repatriated to their descendent communities. Other Affiliations: Professor Anthropology Education Education: PhD, Anthropology, University of Kentucky, 2006 Research Research Interests: Collective action Indigenous governance Historical ecology Heritage management and science Radiocarbon dating Shell midden archaeology Stable oxygen isotopes Remote sensing Geographic Information Systems Southeastern Archaeology Selected Publications Selected Publications: Thompson, Victor D., Matthew Sanger, Karen Y. Smith, Carey J. Garland, Matthew Howland, C. Fred T. Andrus, Isabelle Lulewicz, Carla Hadden, Clark Alexander, Rachael Cajigas, Elliot Blair, Anna Semon, David Hurst Thomas. 2024. Shellfishing, Sea Levels, and Southeastern U.S. Native American Villages (5000–3800 yrs. BP). Scientific Reports. 14, 22322. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-72567-w Howland, Matthew and Victor D. Thompson. 2024. Modeling the Potential Impact of Storm Surge on Coastal Archaeological Heritage: A Case Study from Georgia. PLoS ONE. 19(2): e0297178. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297178 Thompson, Victor D. 2023. Considering Urbanism at Mound Key (Caalus), the Capital of the Calusa in the Sixteenth Century, Southwest Florida, USA. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 72: 101546, doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2023.101546.
