Anthropology

Remapping Global History Through 5,500 Years of Malaria

June 12, 2024

In a new study, an international team of researchers — including UC Merced Distinguished Professor Emeritus Mark Aldenderfer — reconstructed the evolutionary history and global spread of malaria over the past 5,500 years, identifying trade, warfare and colonialism as major catalysts for...

Discover Magazine Features Archaeologist’s Cave Research

Most archaeologists have to dig in the field, but Professor Holley Moyes digs deeper than most. Her research takes her more than 400 feet into the Belize underground, where ancient Maya caves hold...

Grad Students to Continue Heritage Research with Fellowship

Two UC Merced graduate students will continue their research into world heritage with the support of prestigious Marie Curie Fellowships. Fabrizio Galeazzi and Paola Di Giuseppantonio Di Franco were...

Mammoth Bones to be Displayed, Studied

The youngest University of California campus is now the steward of some ancient remains. Columbian mammoth bones dating back to the last Ice Age were transferred recently to a storage...

Anthropologist Publishes Ethnography on Nation-Building

Nation-states, as we know them, have been built and rebuilt since the 18th century. Professor Robin DeLugan is an expert in nation-building and recently published a case study examining how the...

Anthropology Lab Gives Students a Tactile Edge

With a growing collection of artifacts and replicas, UC Merced’s anthropology teaching laboratory gives students the ability to hold history in their hands. Students taking anthropology courses are...

Researchers Spend Summer Working on Projects Near and Far

From the caves of Belize to laboratories in Japan, UC Merced faculty members and students are abroad conducting research this summer across the globe. Though the semester ended in mid-May, the campus...

Mayan Creation Myth the Focus of Upcoming Events

The Popol Vuh, the ancient Mayan creation myth, has permeated several classes at UC Merced this year, offering undergraduate students several ways to learn more about Mayan culture. The focus on the...

National Geographic Film Chronicles Highland Research

Watch Full Episode on PBS. See more from Cave People of the Himalaya. Mark Aldenderfer, dean of UC Merced’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, is featured in a National Geographic...

UC Research Resource Center to Serve San Joaquin Valley

An innovative community-university partnership to empower San Joaquin Valley residents to analyze and communicate their most pressing challenges launches in Fresno this month. The Participatory...