As part of the Experimental Archeology Lab, graduate student Jacob Baldino gets to further his research into ancient technologies. He graduated from Kent State in 2022 with a degree in anthropology and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in anthropology, as well. He answered some questions for Kent State Magazine about his work in the lab and his time at Kent State.
Why did you decide to stay at Kent State for your master’s degree?
I decided to stay at Kent State for graduate school because I felt completing my M.A. in anthropology would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I still feel this way, and every day I come into Lowry Hall to study, teach, or conduct research I am struck with how lucky I am to be around positive like-minded people who want to see each other grow and succeed. My faculty advisor, Dr. Metin Eren, was a strong influence in getting me to apply for the graduate program in anthropology at Kent. Dr. Eren’s and Dr. Michelle Bebber’s work creating and running the Experimental Archaeology Lab at Kent State was also a big reason why I ultimately decided to enter the program.
How did you get involved in the Experimental Archaeology Lab?
I got involved in the Experimental Archaeology Lab as a curious undergraduate who wanted to learn more about the archaeological research that Dr. Eren and Dr. Bebber produce. Dr. Eren and Dr. Bebber accommodated my interests and allowed me to help with various research projects studying projectile point efficiency and durability, thrusting spear point efficiency and durability, among others. My involvement in the lab as an undergraduate allowed me to begin the graduate program with a better understanding of what it means to conduct experimental archaeology research with the goal of publishing scientific literature.
What are you researching in the lab?
I am researching comparative differences in durability between different forms of ancient fish hooks. Our prehistoric hunter-gatherer ancestors had to exploit a variety of resources in order to survive, regional variation in environment would mean that different groups would have had access to different resources. This is true for food resources, as well as raw material resources needed to make tools used in food procurement. During the end of the terminal Pleistocene (roughly 30,000~10,000 years before present), the archaeological record shows regional variation in form (size and shape) and material of preserved fish hooks. Some hooks from the period were made into a more circle, C shape, while some hooks were made into a more traditional J shape. Also, some hooks were made from marine snails or shellfish, while other hooks were made from mammalian bone. My research is focused on testing whether the form or material a fish hook is made of has a significant impact on the durability of the hook as measured by ultimate tensile strength.
What is new about your research? How will this help expand the work of the lab?
In general, fish hook replication for the purpose of using the replica hooks to conduct a comparative experiment, is not common. For our lab, replicating artifacts made from bone is uncommon. My research is new to the field of experimental archaeology because it introduces novel methods to test fish hook durability as measured by tensile strength. The methods I have developed can test the durability of a fish hook made from any material, but I am applying the methods to compare the durability of hooks dated to the terminal Pleistocene. Since many of the hooks I am replicating are made from bone, I have had to develop unique ways of using the tools in the lab to make what I need for my thesis project. This process has also led to the active development of new protocols and training for bone tool replication in our lab.
How have you worked with the faculty of the program? Have you published with them?
I have primarily worked with Dr. Eren and Dr. Bebber by helping with research in the Experimental Archaeology Lab. I have been included in three separate academic publications as a result of this work and I am hoping to get my thesis research project published after graduation.
What is the best part of working in the lab?
For me, the best part of working in the lab is the opportunity it provides. Working in the lab allows me to conduct groundbreaking research replicating ancient artifacts out of unique materials. Doing this takes a lot of thought and effort and I get to use my critical thinking skills to solve unique problems on a daily basis. It is also a joy to work with everyone in our lab, all members are collaborative and helpful in their thinking, which allows for everyone to work together smoothly.
What do you hope to do when you graduate?
When I graduate, I hope to begin a career in CRM [cultural resource management] archaeology. It is one of the best ways to directly apply my graduate degree to a career that allows me to travel and solve unique real-world problems.
What would you tell a student considering archaeology?
If I met a student who was interested in pursuing a degree in archaeology, I would encourage them to thoroughly consider the career opportunities that will be available to them when they graduate. If you have an intense love and passion for archaeological fieldwork or research, I would say that there are many unique academic opportunities available to you to pursue that love and passion. If a student has a mild interest in archaeology, there are ways for you to pursue that interest in the form of an archaeology minor or by getting involved in volunteer archaeology, where you don’t have to make it your career, but you can still enjoy archaeology.
What else should students and alumni know about the lab or your faculty advisors?
I have touched on this already, but the environment that Dr. Eren and Dr. Bebber created in the Experimental Archaeology Lab is special and needs to be preserved. Not only does the lab produce new methods and novel research insights that can be used to better interpret the archaeological record, but the lab also provides undergraduates and graduate students with a positive learning environment where they can safely pursue their own research ideas. This type of environment should be the standard for all higher education programs focused on productive research and student development. To me, what makes the lab so special is that this environment is accessible to anyone who shows genuine interest and dedication to the work being produced in the lab.