Excavations in Sicevo Valley caves, Serbia.
|
Preparing samples for radiocarbon dating in the D-REAMS Lab
|
Anthropology and Public Communication
Alex, B., J. Ji, R. Flad (2025) Regional Disparities in U.S. Media Coverage of Archaeology Research. Science Advances. 11(27)
Media coverage of this article:
Beck, J., R. Flad, B. Alex… R. Carmo (in press). Changing the Landscape of Archaeological Publishing. Current Anthropology.
Media coverage of this article:
- "Popular Science Media" The Mysteries of Archaeology with Flint Dibble YouTube channel
- "Study quantifies U.S. news media's disregard for archaeology from China, Taiwan" C. DeSmith 2 July 2025 The Harvard Gazette.
- "Whose Pasts Matter? How U.S. Media Skews Global Archaeology Coverage" 2 July 2025 Anthropology.net.
Beck, J., R. Flad, B. Alex… R. Carmo (in press). Changing the Landscape of Archaeological Publishing. Current Anthropology.
Biogeography of Neanderthals and modern humans
Sicevo River valley, home to late MP sites in Serbia
This project aimed to reconstruct spatial and temporal distributions of Neanderthals and modern humans, in order to narrow in on their contexts of encounters. I produced chronologies based on reliable radiocarbon dates for Middle and Upper Paleolithic assemblages in the Levant, Balkans, and Northeast Europe. My methodology for radiocarbon dating integrated fieldwork and laboratory analysis to produce meaningful dates.
PhD Dissertation
Establishing Contexts of Encounters: Radicarbon Dating of Archaeological Assemblages with Implications for Neanderthal-Modern Human Interactions. 2016.
The Levant: Manot Cave
Caracuta, B. Alex... E. Boaretto (2020). The Marine Isotope Stage 3 landscape around Manot Cave (Israel) and the food habits of anatomically modern humans: New insights from the anthracological record and stable carbon isotope analysis of wild almond (Amygdalus sp.) Journal of Human Evolution.
Alex, B., O. Barzilai, I. Hershkovitz... E. Boaretto (2017). Radiocarbon chronology of Manot Cave, Israel and Upper Paleolithic dispersals. Science Advances. 3: e1701450.
Hershkovitz, I., O. Marder, B. Alex… O. Barzilai (2015). Levantine cranium from Manot Cave (Israel) foreshadows the first European modern humans. Nature. 520: 216-219.
Marder, O., B. Alex, A. Ayalon… O. Barzilai (2013). The Upper Palaeolithic of Manot Cave, Western Galilee, Israel: the 2011-12 excavations. Antiquity 87(337): online project gallery
The Balkans
Alex, B., D. Mihailovic, S. Milosevic, E. Boaretto (2019). Radiocarbon chronology of Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites in Serbia, Central Balkans. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 25: 266-279
Alex, B. and E. Boaretto (2014). Radiocarbon chronology of Pešturina Cave. In Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Research in the Central Balkans, edited D. Mihailović. Serbian Archaeological Society, Belgrade. Pp 37- 45.
Roksandic, M., P. Radović, B. Alex, S. Panvić, M. Paunović, Z. Marković. (2014). Possible Upper Pleistocene humans from Serbia: morphological descriptions and radiocarbon dating. In Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Research in the Central Balkans, edited D. Mihailović. Serbian Archaeological Society, Belgrade. Pp 7-20.
Poland: Ciemna and Obłazowa Caves
Alex, B., P. Valde-Nowak, L. Regev, E. Boaretto (2017). Late Middle Paleolithic of Southern Poland: Radiocarbon Dates from Ciemna and Obłazowa Caves. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 11: 370-380.
Valde-Nowak, P, B. Alex… Zajac, M. (2016). The Middle Palaeolithic sequence of Ciemna Cave. Some aspects of the site formation process. Quartär. 63: 33-46.
Valde-Nowak, P., B. Alex... K., Zarzecka-Szubinska. (2016). Late Middle Palaeolithic occupations in Ciemna Cave, southern Poland. Journal of Field Archaeology. DOI:10.1080/00934690.2015.1101942.
Valde-Nowak, P., B. Ginter, B. Alex… K. Zarzecka (2014). Middle Paleolithic sequences of the Ciemna cave (Prądnik valley, Poland): The problem of synchronization. Quaternary International 326-327: 125-145.
PhD Dissertation
Establishing Contexts of Encounters: Radicarbon Dating of Archaeological Assemblages with Implications for Neanderthal-Modern Human Interactions. 2016.
The Levant: Manot Cave
Caracuta, B. Alex... E. Boaretto (2020). The Marine Isotope Stage 3 landscape around Manot Cave (Israel) and the food habits of anatomically modern humans: New insights from the anthracological record and stable carbon isotope analysis of wild almond (Amygdalus sp.) Journal of Human Evolution.
Alex, B., O. Barzilai, I. Hershkovitz... E. Boaretto (2017). Radiocarbon chronology of Manot Cave, Israel and Upper Paleolithic dispersals. Science Advances. 3: e1701450.
Hershkovitz, I., O. Marder, B. Alex… O. Barzilai (2015). Levantine cranium from Manot Cave (Israel) foreshadows the first European modern humans. Nature. 520: 216-219.
Marder, O., B. Alex, A. Ayalon… O. Barzilai (2013). The Upper Palaeolithic of Manot Cave, Western Galilee, Israel: the 2011-12 excavations. Antiquity 87(337): online project gallery
The Balkans
Alex, B., D. Mihailovic, S. Milosevic, E. Boaretto (2019). Radiocarbon chronology of Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites in Serbia, Central Balkans. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 25: 266-279
Alex, B. and E. Boaretto (2014). Radiocarbon chronology of Pešturina Cave. In Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Research in the Central Balkans, edited D. Mihailović. Serbian Archaeological Society, Belgrade. Pp 37- 45.
Roksandic, M., P. Radović, B. Alex, S. Panvić, M. Paunović, Z. Marković. (2014). Possible Upper Pleistocene humans from Serbia: morphological descriptions and radiocarbon dating. In Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Research in the Central Balkans, edited D. Mihailović. Serbian Archaeological Society, Belgrade. Pp 7-20.
Poland: Ciemna and Obłazowa Caves
Alex, B., P. Valde-Nowak, L. Regev, E. Boaretto (2017). Late Middle Paleolithic of Southern Poland: Radiocarbon Dates from Ciemna and Obłazowa Caves. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 11: 370-380.
Valde-Nowak, P, B. Alex… Zajac, M. (2016). The Middle Palaeolithic sequence of Ciemna Cave. Some aspects of the site formation process. Quartär. 63: 33-46.
Valde-Nowak, P., B. Alex... K., Zarzecka-Szubinska. (2016). Late Middle Palaeolithic occupations in Ciemna Cave, southern Poland. Journal of Field Archaeology. DOI:10.1080/00934690.2015.1101942.
Valde-Nowak, P., B. Ginter, B. Alex… K. Zarzecka (2014). Middle Paleolithic sequences of the Ciemna cave (Prądnik valley, Poland): The problem of synchronization. Quaternary International 326-327: 125-145.
Other Projects
Beck et al (in revision) Changing the Landscape of Archaeological Publishing. Current Anthropology
Tryon, C., J. Lewis,.. B. Alex...(2018). Middle and Later Stone Age chronology of Kisese II rockshelter (UNESCO World Heritage Kondoa Rock-Art Site), Tanzania. PLOS One 13(2): e0192029. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192029
Tel Ashkelon, Israel :
Koons, M. and B. Alex (2014). Revised Moche Chronology Based on Bayesian Models of Reliable Radiocarbon Dates. Radiocarbon 56(3): 1039-1055.
Stoner, W., D. Nichols, B. Alex, D. Crider (2015). The Emergence of Early-Middle Formative Exchange Patterns in Mesoamerica: A View from Altica in the Teotihuacan Valley. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. 39:19-35.
Alex, B., D. Nichols, M. D. Glascock (2012). Complementary Compositional Analyses of Formative Period Ceramics from the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico. Archaeometry 54:821-834.
Tryon, C., J. Lewis,.. B. Alex...(2018). Middle and Later Stone Age chronology of Kisese II rockshelter (UNESCO World Heritage Kondoa Rock-Art Site), Tanzania. PLOS One 13(2): e0192029. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192029
Tel Ashkelon, Israel :
- Bone preservation study
- Radiocarbon dating of the Philistine cemetery (read about in New York Times and National Geographic)
Koons, M. and B. Alex (2014). Revised Moche Chronology Based on Bayesian Models of Reliable Radiocarbon Dates. Radiocarbon 56(3): 1039-1055.
Stoner, W., D. Nichols, B. Alex, D. Crider (2015). The Emergence of Early-Middle Formative Exchange Patterns in Mesoamerica: A View from Altica in the Teotihuacan Valley. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. 39:19-35.
Alex, B., D. Nichols, M. D. Glascock (2012). Complementary Compositional Analyses of Formative Period Ceramics from the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico. Archaeometry 54:821-834.