Biography
I obtained a BA in Asian History at the University of Bologna before moving to the UK in 2006 to pursue an MSc in GIS and Spatial Analyses in 91探花视频 and a PhD in 91探花视频 at the UCL Institute of 91探花视频. After completing my doctorate in 2013, I worked as a Research Associate at UCL and as a听Marie Sk艂odowska-Curie Actions Fellow at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. In 2016, I joined the Department of 91探花视频 in Cambridge as a听McDonald Institute Anniversary Research Fellow. I was subsequently appointed lecturer in听Computational Analysis of Long-Term Human Cultural and Biological Dynamics.听
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Research
My research interest focuses primarily on the application and development of听quantitative methods in archaeology and anthropology. I apply these techniques to tackle a variety听of research themes, including the study of long-term changes in settlement patterns, the reconstruction of prehistoric population dynamics, and the statistical inference of cultural transmission modes using archaeological data. I am particularly interested in the theoretical and methodological cross-fertilization between biology and archaeology within a cultural evolutionary framework and the interplay between population dynamics, migration, and cultural change.
I am currently the prinicipal investigator of the ERC-funded听ENCOUNTER Project.
- Statistical Inference
- Cultural Evolution
- Human settlement and landscape ecology
- Prehistoric Demography
- Japanese Prehistory
I am also one of the main developers of听听and creator/developer of the听听and 听R packages.
Information for Prospective Postgraduate Students
I am interested in supervising and working with PhD students who share similar methodological, theoretical, and contextual questions that I have. Whilst these broadly cover the application and development of听quantitative & computational听methods, cultural evolutionary research,听and Japanese archaeology, I strongly recommend prospective applicants read my profile and outputs and think about specific topics that can be听of shared interest. I need to know why you want to work with me specifically and that you are not just interested in having a Cambridge degree.听If you are just planning to apply standard statistical and computational methods, I could potentially be part of the advisory team, but you will听need to find a primary supervisor to cover the theoretical and contextual aspects of your project. I expect candidates to have a solid background in statistical inference and good computer coding skills in R, Python, or similar.听If you are primarily interested in working on Japanese archaeology, I will expect some degree of linguistic proficiency that demonstrates that you are able to read and extract information from publications in Japanese.听
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Key Publications
See this my for complete list of publications and access to pdf/codes.听听
Selected publications
| [1] | Crema, E.R., (2022). Statistical Inference of Prehistoric Demography from Frequency Distributions of Radiocarbon Dates: A Review and a Guide for the Perplexed. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. |
| [2] | Crema, E.R., Shoda, S., (2021). A Bayesian approach for fitting and comparing demographic growth models of radiocarbon dates: A case study on the Jomon-Yayoi transition in Kyushu (Japan), Plos One, 16(5): e0251695. |
| [3] | Crema, E.R., Kobayashi, K., (2020). A multi-proxy inference of J艒mon population dynamics using bayesian phase models, residential data, and summed probability distribution of 14C dates. Journal of Archaeological Science, 117, 105136. |
| [4] | Crema, E.R., Kandler, A., Shennan, S., (2016) Revealing patterns of cultural transmission from frequency data: equilibrium and non-equilibrium assumptions. Scientific Reports 6, 39122. |
| [5] | Crema E.R. (2014). A simulation model of fission-fusion dynamics and long-term settlement change. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory , 21, 385-404. |
| [6] | Crema, E.R. Kerig, T., Shennan, S. (2014). Culture, Space, and Metapopulation: a simulation-based study for evaluating signals of blending and branching in archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Science, 43, 289-298. |
| [7] | Crema E.R. (2013). Cycles of change in Jomon settlement: a case study from Eastern Tokyo Bay. Antiquity, 87, 1169-1181 |
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Teaching and Supervisions
I am the coordinator of the following courses:
- A11/B5听From Data to Interpretation
- B11/AS1 Quantitative modelling in 91探花视频 and Biological Anthropology
- B13 Culture Evolves
I also occasionally participate in the teaching of the following courses:
- A2 91探花视频 in Action
- B1听Humans in Biological Perspective
- G02 Core 91探花视频
- Digital Skills for Dissertation
I am currently supervising the following PhD students:
- Leah Brainerd (supervisor)
- Christiane-Marie Cantwell (advisor)
- Alexes Mes (supervisor)
- Sergio Russo (advisor)
- Charles Simmons (supervisor)
- Finn Stileman (advisor)
- Andriana Xenaki (advisor)
Students with recent PhD Completion
- Helen Alderson (advisor)
- Rachel Blevis (co-supervisor)
- Friederike J眉rcke (advisor)
- Marta Krzyzanska听(supervisor)
- Joseph Lewis (supervisor)
- (external co-supervisor, University of Oslo)
- Benjamin J听Utting (advisor)
- Jasmine Vieri (advisor)
Other Professional Activities
I am an associate editor of the听Journal of Archaeological Science and Cambridge Manuals in 91探花视频 and editorial board member of the听Japanese Journal of 91探花视频,听Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports听and听Journal of Open 91探花视频 Data;
I peer-reviewed for听American听Antiquity,听Animal Behavior,听Antiquity;听Anthropological and Archaeological Sciences;听Current Anthropology;听Environmental 91探花视频;听Frontiers in Digital 91探花视频;听Humanities and Social Sciences Communications;听Journal of Anthropological 91探花视频;听Journal听of Archaeological Science;听Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports; Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory;听Journal of Quaternary Science鈥�,听听Nature Communications;听Nature: Scientific Reports;听Nature Human Behaviour,听Open Quaternary;听Papers of the Institute of 91探花视频;听PLOS ONE;听Proceedings of the Computer Applications in 91探花视频 Conference;听Quaternary International; Radiocarbon, Science Advances,听Theoretical Population Biology,听Trends in Ecology & Evolution;听World 91探花视频;听the听National Science Foundation, and edited volumes for听Ubiquity Press听and听Springer. 听
