Chris Stantis

About

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After earning a BA in Anthropology at Auburn University, I moved to the UK to get an MSc in Paleopathology in the UK and then got my PhD in New Zealand. I worked in Thailand and the US before taking on a postdoc in the UK (ask me about moving internationally!)

Currently, I'm a postdoc at the University of Utah, working to improve oxygen isotopes methodologies for identifying where people came from. This has important forensic, bioarchaeological, and paleoanthropological implications, but we're most interested in using it to help return POW/MIA servicemembers to their families. Read more at the project page.

Besides research, I like gaming (video, board, and tabletop) and bouldering

Research

Stable Isotopes

I'm a bioarchaeologist with a wider research background in archaeological chemistry, migration, and diet. Most of my research entails the use of stable isotopes analysis. With small pieces of bones and teeth, I can investigate what people ate in the past and where they lived when they were alive. With that information, I like to ask questions about the social and physical environments that shaped those decisions.

Data Visualization

I adore good data visualization. Check out my GitHub page on creating R code for creating isotopes scatterplots.

Around the World

My research focuses on methods and types of questions rather than a specific region, culture, or time period. This means I've gotten to study lots of people in the past! This includes people who died in London to the Black Death, pre-Contact Tonga and Fiji, Hyksos Dynasty Egypt, Bronze Age Near East, and pre-Hispanic Peru.

Media

I've had several opportunities to talk about my research. Here's some links!

Video

• 2022. What we can, or shouldn't, extract from human bones. National Museum of Natural History ScienceCafe. Link
• 2021. Not me, but Scott Manley talks about my criticisms of a Scientific Reports article. Link
• 2020. My UpGoer5 Challenge, explaining my research using only the most commonly-used words. Link

Podcasts

• 2022. Ethics in Museum Collections with Chris Stantis. Women in Archaeology Podcast Link
• 2020. Merry Hyksmas! With Chris Stantis. The Dirt Podcast Link
• 2020. How may isotopic analyses help us understand who Egypt's Hyksos Dynasty were? The Arch and Anth Podcast. Link
• 2019. A career in isotopes. Career in Ruins Podcast. Link

News Articles

• 2021. New Research Reveals Surprising Origins of Egypt's Hyksos Dynasty. Theresa Machemer, Smithsonian Mag Link
• 2019. Foreigners may have conquered ancient Egypt without invading it. Bruce Bower, Science News Link
• 2019. How breastfeeding sparked population growth in ancient cities. Chris Stantis, The Conversation Link

Invited Blogs

• 2020. The Foreigner as Scapegoat: Lessons from Ancient Egypt and Today. Guest post for Chris Naunton. Link

Contact

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• GitHub

Elements

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    i++;
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