Ramsey Lab

An important and timely contribution to discussions on AI in research! 👏 Well done Krishan!!

His project explored how effectively AI can generate annotated bibliographies in anthropology, testing tools like ChatGPT across different source types and prompt styles. The findings highlight both the promise and current limitations of AI, especially its variability, tendency toward hallucinations, and challenges with non-traditional sources.

Big congratulations to our outstanding undergraduate volunteer Krishan Maisuria for placing 3rd at the University of Toronto Anthropology Societies (UTMAS) 2026 Undergraduate Conference! 🎉

Researchers are pulling clues from genetic material in ice age soils and rewriting chapters of human history go.nature.com/4lQJEIr

A fantastic evening at @LeftFieldBrew for the "Inside Baseball Sip and Learn" 🌾. Dr. Monica Ramsey took us on a journey through the deep history of brewing from modern craft traditions back into the epipaleolithic by exploring how fermentation, plants, and human ingenuity shaped one of the world’s oldest cultural practices. A perfect blend of archaeology and great beer. 🍺🍻

A big congratulations to PhD candidate and RLEA lab manager Melanie Pugliese for her recent publication, titled "Traditional dishes and culinary improvisations: Elite gastronomy in the Maya area", published in Ancient Mesoamerica and ranked as the paper of the month cambridge.org/core/journals/…

'While yet the woods lie grey and still, I give my tidings: "Spring is near!"' (Cicely Mary Barker, 'Song of the hazel catkin fairy') A promise of spring in a hazel wood🩶💛🩶 #SignsOfSpring

🎀Wrapping up another excellent year with an incredible team at our annual RLEA Christmas Party (although many are missing)! A big thanks to @LeftFieldBrew for hosting us!! Grateful for the collaboration that shaped this year’s work. Happy holidays from all of us at RLEA 🎊🎄!

2025 was chock full of exciting discoveries in human evolution From an incredible series of revelations about the ancient humans called Denisovans to surprising discoveries about tool making, this year has given us a clearer picture of how and why humans evolved to be so different from other primates newscientist.com/article/250761…

'It is the most exciting discovery in my 40-year career': Archaeologists uncover evidence that Neanderthals made fire 400,000 years ago in England livescience.com/archaeology/hu…

Delighted to see Prof. Stringer posted our latest paper!

Dr. Monica Ramsey's latest research is featured in Discover Magazine: “Our species evolved as plant-loving, tool-using foodies who could turn almost anything into dinner" @Ramsey_Lab🌱#UTM #archaeology discovermagazine.com/early-humans-m…

We’re thrilled to see Dr. Ramsey and Dr. Florins @sannaflorin new paper featured in the press! The study reveals that early Homo sapiens were plant-processing problem-solvers unlocking calories that shaped our evolution. Read the coverage here: 🔗 discovermagazine.com/early-humans-m…

This innovative research combines experimental archaeological work with modern cacao samples and archaeological analysis to shed new light on how different processing methods alter cacao starch grains.

Congratulations to one of our first undergraduate volunteers Xintong Gao for receiving a UTM Undergraduate Research Grant! Their project at RLEA investigates how ancient Maya communities prepared and used cacao in both daily and ritual life.

2/2: Their paper “The Broad Spectrum Species: Plant-Use and Processing as Deep-Time Adaptations” is published in the Journal of Archaeological Research. #UTM #paleoethnobotany #archaeology doi.org/10.1007/s10814…

They argue that broad-spectrum plant use, including complex plant processing, is a normal characteristic of early human groups and was a critical factor in the successful peopling of new environments globally, rather than a step en route to agriculture

We are delighted to announce the recent publication by Dr. Monica Ramsey and Dr. Anna Florin @sannaflorin in the Journal of Archaeological Research, titled: The Broad Spectrum Species: Plant Use and Processing as Deep Time Adaptations. rdcu.be/eRHhJ

1/2: Ever think plants were just a side note in early human history? New open-access research by Monica Ramsey @Ramsey_Lab and co-author Anna Florin @sannaflorin (ANU) shows plant use was core to early human survival and adaptation globally. ⬇️

Ladies and gentlemen, here I present to you the most dreamy Western Australian wild pea: the dainty pea (#Gompholobium cyaninum). It is a small shrub, erect or straggling, up to 60cm tall. #floraofaustralia #westernaustralianplants #pea #青蓝楔果槐