大象传媒

holds a Ph.D. in anthropology, specializing in identifying animal skeletal remains, or zooarchaeology.

Discovering the Passion for Archaeology

鈥淚 was always drawn to history, but I realized I wanted to be an archaeologist the very first time I saw an active archaeological dig,鈥� Asia says, recounting her realization during a trip to the main island of Orkney in Scotland, where she visited the Ness of Brodgar.

鈥淚t was cold, and the rain was pouring down on the archaeologists excavating at the site, but to me, it was amazing to see them uncovering aspects of human history we would otherwise聽know聽nothing about except through archaeology,鈥� she says enthusiastically before continuing,

鈥淢ost of human history has no written record, and archaeology is the only way of researching much of our past. Watching the archaeologists at the Ness of Brodgar made me realize what archaeology was as a profession and that it was a job I could learn to do. From there, it became, and still is, my passion.鈥�

To her, archaeology is a way of understanding the present. "It simultaneously helps preserve our history while giving context for why we behave the way we do, she says.

In her thesis she fouced on changes in fishing during the transition to agriculture in the Soconusco region of Mexico.

"I think it is important to remember that for much of human history, we relied on wild plants and animals, with coastal resources, such as shellfish and fish, playing an important role" she says.

Uncovering the Past, Understanding the Present

In her work with SapienCE, she examines some of the earliest evidence of consistent coastal fishing by early modern humans in South Africa. This knowledge will enhance our understanding of the relationship between coastal resources and early humans in the region.

鈥淚 am focusing on identifying changes in fishing practices from 100,000 years ago to the present day in South Africa. By understanding how groups organized around fishing, we can develop insights into early human behavior and a more nuanced understanding of the role of coastal resources in the development of social complexity.鈥�

In 2025, SapienCE will be excavating at Klipdrift Complex, one of the main sites where the team is working to understand how and when we became modern humans. Asia is excited to supervise excavations at Klipdrift Cave, dating to the Later Stone Age. During previous excavations at the cave in 2010 and 2011, Prof. Christopher Henshilwood under the ERC funded TracSymbols project 聽found evidence of human occupation at the site between 13,800 and 10,700 years ago. This year, the team aimed to see if the record of human occupation extends back to the Last Glacial Maximum, a period with minimal evidence for human occupation along the present-day coast.

鈥淚 aim to develop the results of these excavations into a long-term project following my postdoc, focusing on the development of complex coastal foragers during the Later Stone Age. Social complexity is often associated with agricultural societies, but coastal foragers were socially complex as well. It is exciting to potentially find new data on the topic from a period we know little about in South Africa,鈥� Asia says.

Balancing Archaeology and Fiction Writing

She has been part of SapienCE since 2022 and is enjoying her life in Norway.

鈥淚 absolutely love living in Norway and find Norwegians to be extremely kind and helpful. For me, being surrounded by nature is vital, and having access to the mountains around Bergen rejuvenates me each week. This year, I started joining Parkrun and indoor bouldering with the aim to keep pursuing both.鈥�

When she takes a break from work, she enjoys running, reading, and writing.

鈥淩unning can clear my head and settle my thoughts in a way few things can. I enjoy all genres of books, from fantasy and science fiction to horror, and I write fiction in my spare time.鈥�