Kristen Gremillion facts for kids
Kristen Johnson Gremillion (born November 17, 1958) is an American anthropologist. She studies how people in the past used plants. This field is called paleoethnobotany. She also researches how farming started in eastern North America. Dr. Gremillion is a professor at the Ohio State University. She has written many articles about her work.
Early Life and Education
Kristen Gremillion was born in Detroit, Michigan. Her family moved to New Orleans when she was very young. She grew up there and lived in New Orleans until 1982. Then, she moved to North Carolina for graduate school.
She started college at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1976. She studied anthropology there. In 1979, she moved to the University of New Orleans in Louisiana. She earned her first degree in anthropology in 1980, graduating with honors.
Dr. Gremillion continued her studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She earned her master's degree in anthropology in 1985. Her master's paper was about how Native Americans used plants in North Carolina. In 1989, she earned her Ph.D. (a higher degree) in anthropology from the same university. Her Ph.D. research focused on ancient plants in North Carolina.
While studying for her advanced degrees, Dr. Gremillion worked as a consultant. She advised on ancient plants found at archaeological sites. After finishing her studies, she became a visiting teacher at East Carolina University in 1990. From 1991 to 1997, she was an assistant professor at the Ohio State University. She then became an associate professor in 1997. In 1999, she also started working with the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at the same university.
Research on Ancient Farming
Dr. Gremillion's research looks at when and where plants were first grown by people in Eastern North America. She has focused on people in the eastern Kentucky uplands. These people were "forager-farmers." This means they gathered wild food but also started to grow some plants.
Her studies suggest that people might have started experimenting with growing plants in the uplands. This is different from older ideas that said farming began in rich, flat river areas called flood plains. Dr. Gremillion believes it made more sense to start farming in the uplands. People already lived there. They could try growing plants without traveling far to the flood plains. This would have been easier and saved time.
Archaeological Field Work
Dr. Gremillion has led many archaeological digs. These are places where scientists carefully dig to find clues about the past.
- In 1992, she directed and supervised excavations at Rock Bridge shelter in Wolfe Co., Kentucky.
- In 1994, she directed and supervised a dig at Cold Oak Shelter in Lee Co., Kentucky.
- In 1995, she directed an archaeological survey in Lee Co., Kentucky. A survey is when scientists look for new sites.
- In 1996, she directed digs at Mounded Talus shelter in Lee Co., Kentucky.
- In 1998, she directed and supervised digs at Courthouse Rock shelter in Powell Co., Kentucky.
- In 2000, she directed and supervised digs at the Sheldon Skidmore site and Shepherd site in Powell Co., Kentucky.
- In 2001, she directed and supervised digs at the Anderson and Martin site in Powell Co., Kentucky.
