Refereed Publications
Journal Articles
(2022) Schilt, F.S., Miller, C. M, Wright, D.K., Mentzer, S.M., Mercader, J., Moss, P., Siljedal, G., Clarke, S., Mwambwiga, A., Thomas, K., Kaliba, P., Gomani-Chindebvu, E., and Thompson, J.C.* “Hunter-gatherer environments at the Late Pleistocene sites of Mwanganda´s Village and Bruce, northern Malawi”. Quaternary Science Reviews 292:107638. *Senior author. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107638.
(2022) Dussubieux, L., Welling, M., Kaliba, P., and Thompson, J.C.* “European trade in Malawi: The glass bead evidence”. African Archaeological Review. *Senior author. https://doi.org/1007/s10437-022-09486-6
(2022) Lipson, M.*, Sawchuk, E.A.*, Thompson, J.C.@, Oppenheimer, J., Tryon, C.A., Ranhorn, K.L., de Luna, K.M., Sirak, K.A., Olalde, I., Ambrose, S.H., Arthur, J.W., Arthur, K.J.W., Ayodo, G., Bertacchi, A., Cerezo-Román, J.I., Culleton, B.J., Curtis, M.C., Davis, J., Gidna, A.O., Hanson, A., Kaliba, P., Katongo, M., Kwekason, A., Laird, M.F., Lewis, J., Mabulla, A., Mapemba, F., Morris, A., Mudenda, G., Mwafulirwa, R., Mwangomba, D., Ndiema, E., Ogola, C., Schilt, F., Willoughby, P., Wright, D.K., Zipkin, A., Pinhasi, R., Kennett, D.J., Kyalo Manthi, F., Rohland, N., Patterson, N., Reich, D. @, and Prendergast, M.E. @. “Ancient DNA and deep population structure in sub-Saharan African foragers”. Nature 603:290–296. *co-first author; @co-corresponding author https://doi.org/1038/s41586-022-04430-9
(2021) Sirak, K.A., Fernandes, D.M., Lipson, M., Mallilck, S., Mah, M., Olalde, I., Ringbauer, H., Rohland, N., Hadden, C.S., Harney, E., Adamski, N., Bernardos, R., Broomandkhoshbacht, N., Callan, K., Ferry, M., Lawson, A.-M., Michel, M., Oppenheimer, J., Stewardson, K., Zalzala, F., Patterson, N., Pinhasi, R., Thompson, J.C., Van Gerven, D., and Reich, D. “Social stratification without genetic differentiation at the site of Kulubnarti in Christian Period Nubia”. Nature Communications 12 (7283). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27356-8
(2021) Thompson, J.C.*, Wright, D.K.*, Ivory, S.J.*, Choi, J-H., Nightingale, S., Mackay, A., Schilt, F., Otárola-Castillo, E., Mercader, J., Forman, S.L., Pietsch, T., Cohen, A.S., Arrowsmith, J.R., Welling, M., Davis, J., Schiery, B., Kaliba, P., Malijani, O., Blome, M.W., O’Driscoll, C., Mentzer, S.M., Miller, C., Heo, S., Choi, J., Tembo, J., Mapemba, F., Simengwa, D., and Gomani-Chindebvu, E. “Early human impacts and ecosystem reorganization in southern-central Africa”. Science Advances 7(19): *equal contribution https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf9776
(2021) Miller, J.M*, Keller, H., Heckel, C., Kaliba, P.M., and Thompson, J.C.* ”Approaches to land Snail shell bead manufacture in the early Holocene of Malawi”. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. 13:37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01274-8
(2021) Thompson, J.C., Wright, D.K., and Ivory, S.J. “The emergence and intensification of early hunter-gatherer niche construction”. Evolutionary Anthropology 30: 17-27. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.21877
(2019) Braun, D.R. Aldeias, V. Archer, W. Arrowsmith, J.R. Baraka, N. Campisano, C.J. Deino, A. DiMaggio, E. Dupont-Nivet, G. Engda, B. Feary, D.A.Garello, D. Kerfelew, Z. McPherron, S.P. Patterson, D.B. Reeves, J.S. Thompson, J.C, and Reed, K.E. “Reply to Sahle and Gossa: Technology and geochronology at the earliest known Oldowan site at Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1911952116
(2019). Stephens, L. et al. (ArchaeoGLOBE Project). “Archaeological assessment reveals Earth’s early transformation through land use”. Science 365(6456): 897-902. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax1192
(2019) Nightingale, S., Schilt, F., Thompson, J.C., Wright, D.K., Forman, S., Mercader, J., Moss, P., Clarke, S., Itambu, M., Gomani-Chindebvu, E., and Welling, M. “Buried late Middle Stone Age behavior and environments at Chaminade I (Karonga, Malawi)”. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-019-00035-3
(2019) Braun, D.R. Aldeias, V. Archer, W. Arrowsmith, J.R. Baraka, N. Campisano, C.J. Deino, A. DiMaggio, E. Dupont-Nivet, G. Engda, B. Feary, D.A.Garello, D. Kerfelew, Z. McPherron, S.P. Patterson, D.B. Reeves, J.S. Thompson, J.C, and Reed, K.E. “Earliest known Oldowan artifacts at >2.58 Ma from Ledi-Geraru, Ethiopia, highlight early technological diversity”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116 (24) : 11712-11717. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1820177116
(2019) Thompson, J.C., Carvalho, S., Marean, C.W., and Alemseged, Z. “The origins of the human predatory pattern: The transition to large animal exploitation by early hominins”. Current Anthropology 60(1): 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1086/701477
(2018) Scerri, E.M.L., Thomas, M.G., Manica, A., Gunz, P., Stock, J.T., Stringer, C., Grove, M., Groucutt, H.S., Timmermann, A., Rightmire, P., d’Errico, F., Tryon, C.A., Drake, N.A., Brooks, A.S., Dennell, R.W., Durbin, R., Henn, B.M., Lee-Thorp, J., deMenocal, P., Petraglia, M.D., Thompson, J.C., Scally, A., and Chikhi, L. “Homo sapiens evolved in structured populations”. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 33(8): 582-594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2018.05.005
(2018) Otárola-Castillo, E., Hawkins, H.C., Torquato, M., James, E., Harris, J., Marean, C.W., McPherron, S.P., and Thompson, J.C. “Differentiating between cutting actions on bone using 3D geometric morphometrics and Bayesian analyses with implications to human evolution”. Journal of Archaeological Science 89: 56-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2017.10.004
(2018) O’Driscoll, C. and Thompson, J.C. “The origins and early elaboration of projectile technology”. Evolutionary Anthropology 27:30-45. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.21560
(2018) Thompson, J.C., Mackay, A., Nightingale, S., Wright, D., Choi, J-H., Blackmore, H., Welling, M., and Gomani-Chindebvu, E. “Ecological risk, demography, and technological complexity in the Late Pleistocene of northern Malawi: Implications for geographical patterning in the Middle Stone Age”. Journal of Quaternary Science 33(3):261-284. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3002
(2017) Skoglund, P., Thompson, J., Prendergast, M.E., Mittnick, A., Sirak, K., Hajdinjak, M., Salie, Rohland, N., Mallick, S., Peltzer, A., Heinze, A., Olalde, I., Ferry, M., Harney, E., Michel, M., Stewardson, K., Cerezo-Román, J., Chiumia, C., Crowther, A., Gomani-Chindebvu, E., Gidna, A.O., Grillo, K.M., Helenius, T., Hellenthal, G., Helm, R., Horton, M., López, S., Mabulla, A.Z.P., Parkington, J., Shipton, C., Thomas, M.G., Tibesasa, R., Welling, M., Hayes, V., Kennett, D., Ramesar, R., Meyer, M., Pääbo, S., Patterson, N., Morris, A.G., Boivin, N., Pinhasi, R., Krause, J., and Reich, D. “Reconstructing Prehistoric African Population Structure”. Cell 171(1): 59-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.08.049
(2017) Thompson, J.C., Faith, J.T., Cleghorn, N., and Hodgkins, J. “Identifying the accumulator: Making the most of bone surface modification data”. Journal of Archaeological Science 85: 105-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2017.06.013
(2017) Harris, J.A., Marean, C.W., Ogle, K., and Thompson, J.C. “The trajectory of bone surface modification studies in paleoanthropology and a new Bayesian solution to the identification controversy”. Journal of Human Evolution 110:69-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.011
(2017) Wright, D.K., Thompson, J.C., Schilt, F., Cohen, A., Choi, J-H., Mercader, J., Nightingale, S., Miller, C., Mentzer, S., Walde, D., Welling, M., and Gomani-Chindebvu, E. “Approaches to Middle Stone Age landscape archaeology in tropical Africa”. Special issue Geoarchaeology of the Tropics of Journal of Archaeological Science 77: 64-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2016.01.014
(2015) Thompson, J.C., McPherron, S.P., Bobe, R., Reed, D., Barr, W.A., Wynn, J., Marean, C.W., Geraads, D., and Alemseged, Z. “Taphonomy of fossils from the hominin-bearing deposits at Dikika, Ethiopia”. Journal of Human Evolution 86:112-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.06.013
(2015) James, E. and Thompson, J.C. “On bad terms: Obstacles arising from inconsistent terminology and lack of standardisation in bone surface modification studies”. Environmental Archaeology 20(1): 89-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/1749631414Y.0000000023
(2015) Zipkin, A., Hanchar, J., Brooks, A., Grabowski, M.W., Thompson, J.C., and Gomani-Chindebvu, E. “Ochre fingerprints: Distinguishing among Malawian mineral pigment sources with homogenized ochre chip LA-ICPMS”. Archaeometry 57(2): 297-317. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12090
(2014) Thompson, J.C., Mackay, A., De Moor, V., and Gomani-Chindebvu, E. “Catchment survey in the Karonga District: A landscape-scale analysis of core reduction strategies during the Middle Stone Age of northern Malawi”. African Archaeological Review 31(3): 447-478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s1043
(2014) O’Driscoll, C. and Thompson, J.C. “Experimental projectile impact marks on bone: Implications for identifying the origins of projectile technology”. Journal of Archaeological Science 49: 398-413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.05.036
(2014) Wright, D.K., Thompson, J.C., Mackay, A., Welling, M., Forman, S., Price, G., Zhao, J-x., Cohen, A., Malijani, O., and Gomani-Chindebvu, E. “Renewed geoarchaeological investigations of Mwanganda’s Village (Elephant Butchery Site), Karonga, Malawi”. Geoarchaeology 29(2):98-120. https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21469
(2014) Thompson, J.C. and Henshilwood, C.S. “Tortoise taphonomy and tortoise butchery patterns at Blombos Cave, South Africa”. Journal of Archaeological Science 41: 214–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.017
(2014) Thompson, J.C., and Henshilwood, C. “Nutritional values of tortoises relative to ungulates from the Middle Stone Age levels at Blombos Cave, South Africa: Implications for foraging and social behaviour”. Journal of Human Evolution 67: 33-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.09.010
(2013) Thompson, J.C., Welling, M., and Gomani-Chindebvu, E. “Using GIS to integrate old and new archaeological data from Stone Age deposits in Karonga, Malawi”. International Journal of Heritage in the Digital Era 2(4): 611-630. https://doi.org/10.1260/2047-4970.2.4.611
(2013) Faith, J.T., and Thompson, J.C. “Fossil evidence for seasonal calving and migration of extinct blue antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus) in southern Africa”. Journal of Biogeography 40(11): https://doi.org/2108–2118. 10.1111/jbi.12154
(2012) Thompson, J.C., Mackay, A., Wright, D., Welling, M., Greaves, A., Gomani-Chindebvu, E., and Simengwa, D. “Renewed Investigations into the Middle Stone Age of northern Malawi”. Quaternary International 270:129-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2011.12.014
(2012) Thompson, J.C., and Haynes, C.V. “Resolving the 70-year controversy of the timing of human occupation at Sandia Cave, New Mexico: 14C dates on human-modified fossil fauna”. American Antiquity 77(2):303-314.
(2011) Westaway, M.C., Thompson, J.C., Wood, W., and Njau, J. “Crocodile ecology and the taphonomy of early Australasian sites” Environmental Archaeology 16(2): 124-136. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/174963111X13110803260930
(2011) Thompson, J.C. and Henshilwood, C.S. “Taphonomic analysis of the Middle Stone Age larger mammal faunal assemblage from Blombos Cave, southern Cape, South Africa”. Journal of Human Evolution 60: 746-767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.01.013
(2010) Thompson, J.C. “Taphonomic analysis of the faunal assemblage from Pinnacle Point Cave 13B, Western Cape, South Africa”. Journal of Human Evolution 59: 321-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.07.004
(2008) Thompson, J.C., Sugiyama, N., and Morgan, G.S. “Taphonomic analysis of the mammalian fauna from Sandia Cave, New Mexico, and the ‘Sandia Man’ controversy”. American Antiquity 73(2): 337-360. https://doi.org/10.1017/S000273160004230X
(2008) Braun, D.R., Pobiner, B.L., and Thompson, J.C. “An experimental investigation of cut mark production and stone tool attrition”. Journal of Archaeological Science 35: 1216-1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2007.08.015
(2007) Thompson, J.C. and Lee-Gorishti, Y. “Carnivore bone portion choice in modern experimental boiled bone assemblages”. Journal of Taphonomy 5(3): 121 – 135.
(2005) Thompson, J.C. “The impact of post-depositional processes on bone surface modification frequencies: a corrective strategy and its application to the Loiyangalani site, Serengeti Plain, Tanzania”. Journal of Taphonomy 3(2): 57-80.
(2001) Thompson, J. C. and Morgan, G. S. “Late Pleistocene vertebrate fauna and environments of the Sandia Mountains, New Mexico”. Current Research in the Pleistocene 18:113-115.
Book Chapters
(2022) Thompson, J.C., Wright, D.K, Nightingale, S., and Kaliba, P. “Pleistocene Archaeology of northern Malawi”. In: Beyin, A., Wright, D.K., Wilkins, J., Bouzouggar, A., and Olszewski, D. (Eds.) Handbook of Pleistocene Archaeology of Africa: Hominin Behavior, Geography, and Chronology. Accepted 23 December 2021.
(2022) Thompson, J.C., Bertacchi, A., Keller, H., Hallett, E., and Pobiner, B. “The Zooarchaeology of Pleistocene Africa”. In: Beyin, A., Wright, D.K., Wilkins, J., Bouzouggar, A., and Olszewski, D. (Eds.) Handbook of Pleistocene Archaeology of Africa: Hominin Behavior, Geography, and Chronology. Accepted 9 November 2021.
(2022) Blasco, R., Cochard, D., Colosese, A.C., Laroulandie, V., Meier, J., Morin, E., Rufà, A., Tassoni, L. and Thompson, J.C. “Small animal use by Neanderthals”. In: Romagnoli, F., Rivals, F., & Benazzi, S. (Eds.). Updating the Neanderthals: Understanding Behavioral Complexity in the Late Middle Paleolithic. Elsevier. Accepted 14 June 2021.
(2020) Thompson, J.C. “Faunal Analysis in African Archaeology”. In: Shirikure, C. (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology. New York: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190854584.013.44
(2018) Faith, J.T., and Thompson, J.C. Low-survival skeletal elements track attrition, not carcass transport behavior in African Quaternary faunal assemblages. In: Giovas, C.M. (Ed.) Zooarchaeology in Practice: Case Studies in Methodology and Interpretation in Archaeofaunal Analysis. Springer: Cham. Pp. 109-126.
(2016) Sobotkova, A., Ross, S.A., Ballsun-Stanton, B., Fairbairn, A., Thompson, J.C., and VanValkenburgh, P. “Measure twice, cut once: Cooperative deployment of a generalised, archaeology-specific field data collection system”. In E. W. Averett, J. M. Gordon, & D. B. Counts (Eds.), Mobilizing the Past for a Digital Future: The Potential of Digital Archaeology, Grand Forks, ND: The Digital Press at the University of North Dakota pp. 337-371.
(2010) Thompson, J.C. (2010). “Variability in Middle Stone Age faunal exploitation and use of the physical and social landscapes in the southwestern Cape, South Africa”. In (Delagnes, A. and Conard, N., Eds.) Settlement Dynamics of the Middle Paleolithic and Middle Stone Age III. Tübingen: Kerns Verlag pp. 11-38.
Other Publications
(2017) Thompson, J.C. “Taphonomy in Human Evolution: Substantive Entry”. In (Smith, C. Ed. in Chief). Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology 2nd Edition. SpringerReference.
(2017) Thompson, J.C. “New Opportunities Rising”. eLife: e26775.
(2014) Thompson, J.C. “Taphonomy in Human Evolution: Minor Entry”. In (Smith, C. Ed. in Chief). Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. SpringerReference pp. 7225-7232.
(2009) Thompson, J.C. and Marean, C. W. “Using image analysis to quantify relative degrees of density-mediated attrition in Middle Stone Age archaeofaunas”. Society for Archaeological Sciences Bulletin 32(2):18-23.
(2009) Thompson, J.C. “Review of Quantitative Paleozoology by R. Lee Lyman”. PaleoAnthropology May 2009:142-144.
(2009) Thompson, J.C. “Zooarchaeological tests for modern human behaviour at Blombos Cave and Pinnacle Point Cave 13B, southwestern Cape, South Africa”. Azania 44(3): 358.
(2004) Clark, G.A. and Thompson, J.C. “Palaeoanthropology for Middlebrows: Book Review of The Neanderthal’s Necklace by J.L. Arsuaga”. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 14(1): 141-144.
(2003) Marean, C.W. and Thompson, J.C. “Research on the origins of modern humans continues to dominate Paleoanthropology”. Evolutionary Anthropology 12(4): 165-167.
