Martha Tappen

Publications

• Tappen, Martha, Tappen, M., Buhksianidze, M., Ferring, R., Coil, R. and Lordkipanidze, D. . "Life and Death at Dmanisi, Georgia: Taphonomic signals from the fossil mammals." Journal of Human Evolution 2022: 171 : 103249 .
• Margvelashvili, A., Tappen, M., Tsikaridze, N. Rightmire, P., Lordkipanidze, D. . An ancient cranium from Dmanisi: Evidence for interpersonal violence, disease, and possible predation by carnivores on Early Pleistocene Homo. Journal of Human Evolution , 2022, 166: , 103180.
• Ferring, R.F., Oms, R., Nomade, S., Tappen, M., Coil,R., Shelia, T., Crislip, P., Chagelashvili, R., Kiladze, G. and Lordkipanidze, D. . Early Pleistocene Stratigraphy, Sedimentary Environments and Contexts of Dmanisi in the Georgian Caucasus. Journal of Human Evolution, 2022 172, 103254.
• Shelia, T., Ferring, R., Tappen, M., Bukhsianidze, M., Lordkipanidze, D. . Archaeology and formation processes in the M6 Block at Dmanisi, Georgia.. Bulletin of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences , 2020, 14 (1):, 148-154.
• Yezzi-Woodley, K., Calder, J., Olver, P., Cody, P., Huffstutler, T., Terwilliger, A., Melton, J.A., Tappen, M., Coil, R., Tostevin, G. . The Virtual Goniometer: A new method for measuring angles on 3D models of fragmentary bone and lithics. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences , 2021 13, 106-126.
• Coil, R., Tappen, M., Ferring, R. Bukhsianidze, M., Nioradze, M., Lordkipanidze, D. . Spatial Patterning of the archaeological and paleontological assemblage at Dmanisi, Georgia: An analysis of site formation and carnivore-hominin interaction in Block 2.. Journal of Human Evolution., 2020 143:, 102773.
• Reed Coil, Martha Tappen, Katrina Yezzi-Woodley (2017). New analytical methodology for comparing bone fracture angles: A controlled study of hammerstone and hyena (Crocuta crocuta) long bone breakage. Archaeometry, 2017 59, 900-917.
• Ferring, R., Oms, O., Agusti, J., Berna, F., Nioradze, M.Shelia, T., Tappen, M. Zhavania, D. and Lordkipanidze, D. (2011). Dmanisi’s earliest human occupations dated to 1.85-1.78 Ma (Georgia). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 108(26), 10432-10436.
• Tappen, Martha. "The Wisdom of the Aged and Out of Africa I ." Transitions in Prehistory: Essays in Honor of Ofer Bar-Yosef. In Shea, John J. and Daniel E. Lieberman (Editors) (2009).

• Lordkipanidze, D, Jashashvili, T., Vekua, A., Ponce de Leon, M., Zollikofer, C., Rightmire, P., Pontzer, H., Ferring, R., Oms, O., Tappen, M. Bukhsianidze, M., Agusti, J., Kiladze, G, Kalkhe, Rm Martinez-Navarro, B.  Mouskhelishvili,, A., Nioradze, M., 2007.  Post-cranial evidence from early Homo from Dmanisi, Georgia, Nature. 449: 305-310

• Tappen, Martha, M. Tappen, D. Lordkipanidze, M. Bukshianidze, R. Ferring. "Are You in or Out (of Africa?)." Breathing Life into Fossils: Taphonomic Studies in Honor of C.K. Brain“. T.R. Pickering, K. Schick and N. Toth, Eds. (2007): 119-135.
• Lordkipanidze, D., Vekua, A., Ferring, R., Rightmire, P., Zollikofer, C., Agusti, J, Kiladze, G., Mouskhelishvili, A., Nioradze, A., Ponce de León, M., Tappen, M. 2006. A Fourth Hominid Cranium from Dmanisi, Georgia. The Anatomical Record 208: 1146-1157.
• Tappen, Martha, Lordkipanidze, D. Vekua, a., Ferring, R., Rightmire, G.P., Agusti, J., Kiladze, G., Mouskhelishvili, Nioradze, M. Ponce de Leon, M., Tappen, M. Zollikofer, C.P.E.. "The earliest toothless hominin skull." Nature 434 (2005): 717-718.
• Tappen, Martha, Yellen, J. Brooks, A., Helgren, D., Tappen, M., Ambrose, S. Bonnefille, R. Feathers, J. Goodfriend, G., Ludwig, K., Renne, P. Stewart, K. "The Archaeology of Aduma Middle Stone Age Sites in the Awash Valley, Ethiopia." PaleoAnthropology 10 (2005): 25-100.
• Tappen, Martha, Tappen, M. Adler, D. S., Ferring, C.R., Gabunia, M. Vekua, A., Swisher, C. III. "Akhalkalaki: The Taphonomy of A Lower Pleistocene Locality in the Republic of Georgia." Journal of Archaeological Science 29 (2002): 1367-1391.
• Tappen, Martha, Tappen, M., Ferring, R., Lordkipanidze, D., Vekua, A., Kiladze, G.. "Preliminary Observations on the Vertebrate Taphonomy of the Dmanisi Locality in The Republic of Georgia." Topics on Taphonomy and Fossilization (2002): 161-170.
• Vekua, A., Lordkipanidze, D.,Rightmire, P., Agusti, J., Ferring, C.R., Maisuradze, G., Mouskhelishvili, A., Nioradze, M., Ponce de Leon, M., Tappen, M., Tvalchrelidze, M. Zollikofer, C. 2002. A New Skull from Early Homo from Dmanisi, Georgia. Nature 297: 85-89.
• Tappen, Martha, Richard Wrangham. "Recognizing Hominoid-Modified Bones: The Taphonomy of Colobus Bones Partially Digested by Free-Ranging Chimpanzees in the Kibale Forest, Uganda." American Journal of Physical Anthropology 113 (2000): 217-234.
• Tappen, Martha. "Deconstructing the Serengeti." The Early Human Diet, the Role of Meat,, Stanford, C. and Bunn, H. editors (2001): 13-32.

Activities

Awards

• McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, University of Minnesota, 1998 - 2000
• Fulbright Senior Scholar, 2003
• L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, 2002
• National Science Foundation: "Stratigraphy, Archaeology, Taphonomy and Paleoenvironments of the Early Pleistocene site of Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia." with Co-PIs Reid Ferring, Philip Rightmire, 2004 - 2005
• NSF: Analysis of the Vertebrate Taphonomy at Dmanisi, Georgia, and Its Bearing on Out of Africa I, 2010 - 2013

Courses

• Anth 1001 - Human Evolution
• Anth 1906 - Freshman Seminar: Changing Human Adaptations
• ANTH 3402/5402 - Zooarchaeology Laboratory
• Anth 5244/8244 - Interpreting Ancient Bone
• Hyenas, Hominids, and Habitats
• ANTH 3444/5444 - Human Fossil Record