🧪 The final days of an excavation: Where exhaustion meets discovery

This captures the essence of archaeological fieldwork—fatigue after long days, intense discussion about a complex stratigraphic profile. Anxious to button things up, but balancing urge to finish w/ getting it documented properly

🧪 The final days of an excavation: Where exhaustion meets discovery

This captures the essence of archaeological fieldwork—fatigue after long days, intense discussion about a complex stratigraphic profile. Anxious to button things up, but balancing urge to finish w/ getting it documented properly

Shantel standing and explaining to a man her scientific poster presentation "baskets of knowledge"

Shantel standing and smiling in front of her scientific poster presentation "baskets of knowledge"

She recently presented at #2024NDiSTEM as part of the @NSF REU Summer Systematics Institute program. Huge thanks to @arachnologynerd and @rebafayj for leading this amazing opportunity! 👏 🧪

Home | shantelportfolio Home

Shantel's a Rochester Institute of Technology grad (BFA in Medical Illustration) and her portfolio is stunning: sw1094.wixsite.com/shantelportf...

Watching emerging professionals approach their craft with such sensitivity and skill is so inspiring! 🎨🔬🧪

screenshot of Shantel Watson's linked in profile post with photos of her giving a presentation

One of the best parts of my job is working with incredibly talented people like Shantel Watson! 🌟🧪

Her work as a Biological Illustrator at @calacademy is exceptional - the thoughtfulness she brings to every piece, especially collaborating with Indigenous tribes of California, just blows me away ✨

Montage of black and white photos inside the exhibit-printed on large banners-of people who were part of the Alcatraz occupation

Black and white photo of Native American man and woman standing in front of two floors of jail cells, with caption "1969-Alcatraz: Inside the cellblock"

Image of Native American Alcatraz occupoier calmly speaking to a reporter, with federal marshall in black hat, suit, sunglasses observing in the background, looking like a menacing "blues brother"

Tanned hide on frame with "WE ARE STILL HERE" and painting of teeepee

The boat is part of an exhibit on the 1969-71 Native occupation of Alcatraz—19 months of Indigenous activism, demanding treaty rights and cultural preservation. These stories of resistance deserve to be centered, not footnotes 🧪

Grateful to everyone keeping this history alive 🧵✨

Gregg Castro from behind, approaching a door with three exhibit panels with title "RED POWER ON ALCATRAZ" on top of door. Through the door you can see a yellow and white teepee which is part of the exhibit

several people looking at a tule boat on display

With @nacri_official & @ramaytushohlone we are learning about the art, science & culture of tule boats. The Academy's Viz Studio team 3-D imaged their beautiful tule boat there using photogrammetry-the images help our animators develop a scene for Morrison Planetarium show, opening Nov! 🧪

Shannon Tushingham and Gregg Castro in front of building on Alcatraz, with historic graffiti "INDIANS WELCOME UNITED INDIAN PROPERTY...INDIAN LAND" written on above, below, and top of an official sign.

Selfie of Laurie Morales, Beverly Oritz, Shannon Tushingham, sitting next to each other and smiling

Yesterday's day at the office was unique and pretty special- kicked off with a journey to Ohlone homelands on Alcatraz with friends and colleagues Gregg Castro, Beverly Ortiz, and Laurie Morales, and @calacademy colleagues, plus incredible staff on 'the rock'.
🧪

Three people standing and smiling in front of a fossil t-rex skeleton.

Two people standing and smiling.

🧪 With Manju Singh Bhandari & husband Rabin Thapa, we explored exhibits and collections--including our cast replica of the fossilized skeleton of of "Lucy" (Australopithecus afarensis) & the Allen collection of historic lamps—including several beautiful examples from Nepal and the surrounding region

Three people standing and smiling next to a cast replica of the fossil skeleton "Lucy"

Two people looking at a drawer with an assortment of historic lamps

🧪 Honored to welcome esteemed archaeologist Manju Singh Bhandari-retired Executive Director of the @patanmuseum, Nepal-& Rabin Thapa to the Anthropology @calacademy this week! Enlightening to hear about her incredible research & work preserving Nepal's cultural treasures after the 2015 earthquake.

Shannon Tushingham and Bill Hildebrant smiling in front of an archaeological excavation with students working. Shannon is wearing a T-shirt that says happens and Bill is wearing a hard hat and holding a trowel

🧪 The shirt says it all, because in archaeology, #SiftHappens— and it's a dirty job we love. ✨

Photo: Shannon Tushingham with Bill Hildebrandt at the WSU–Kalispel Tribe-Far Western Archaeological Field School.

#DirtDontHurt #Fieldwork #ArchaeologyLife #ExcavationStation #FieldSchool

I totally get that trepidation about being on camera while also wanting to do more of scicomm work. I REALLY love this format—it's super engaging, and you absolutely nailed it!

Eight people in field gear standing behind sign for the 2023 WSU archaeological field school

✨A successful field project thrives on its crew leads & the 2023 WSU Archaeological Field School in Indigenous Collaboration, First Foods & Cultural Resource Management had an outstanding team! 🙌🏽

This phenomenal group went above & beyond to teach & inspire a large, passionate group of students🧪

Hello Professor! I am the Irvine Chair of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences. Would you please consider adding me to your feed? Thanks and happy to be here! orcid.org/0000-0001-84...

So today, enjoy your chocolate while reflecting on its origins and rich legacy—a symbol deeply rooted in ancient traditions and community!
#LivingHeritage

🍫🍩🍪

Thanks to lab #scicomm content creator Greer Lantier!!

Many communities today honor, farm, and enjoy cacao as a traditional drink, upholding centuries of wisdom and connection to this sacred plant. (Clip from cacao farm in San Carlos, Costa Rica).

And get this: The Aztecs even used cacao beans as currency! Imagine trading 100 cacao beans for a turkey! 💰
Beyond its rich history, cacao continues to be a vital part of indigenous cultures.

Archaeological finds show the Mayo-Chinchipe valued cacao 5,300 years ago (3300 BCE), supported by presence of cacao starch grains, theobromine residues, & ancient DNA in Ecuadorian pottery: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Cacao pods on cacao tree

Imagine: In grand ceremonies, frothy, bitter cacao drinks – derived from fermented and roasted cacao beans, sometimes infused with chili or maize – were savored by the elite. #SacredCacao

Happy #worldchocolateday!

From ancient civilizations to the present day, cacao has always held a profound significance. 🌿 For the Maya and Aztec peoples, cacao was deeply sacred, woven into religious rituals and offered as a tribute to the gods. #CacaoCulture #IndigenousTraditions #AncientHistory

Title page of 'The Indian nectar' printed in 1662

A celebration of chocolate from 1662 #WorldChocolateDay

The Biomolecular Archaeology of Psychoactive Substances The field of biomolecular archaeology – the application of chemical techniques to characterize and identify organic compounds in archaeological materials – has expanded greatly over the past 30 years....

⬆️ Illustration by T. Raymer, featured in "The Biomolecular Archaeology of Psychoactive Substances" doi.org/10.1002/9781... by M. Zimmermann & S. Tushingham, who discuss fascinating interplay b/w plants 🌱, ancient cultures, & the compounds that have shaped human history, including cacao-DM for PDF

Happy #WorldChocolateDay ! The chocolate we love has ancient roots! 🌳 Indigenous cultures have cultivated & revered cacao (Theobroma cacao) for millennia. Scientists find residues like theobromine & caffeine in artifacts, showing its long history as a stimulating treat and sacred food 🍫✨

SSE, SSB, and ASN logos. Text: Tri-societies Week of Action for NSF. Science under siege: Over 1000 NSF grants have been terminated by political appointees- threatening the foundation of American innovation and education, and more cuts loom; entire research programs are being erased without explanation. What’s at stake? STEM education for K-12 students, jobs and infrastructure in rural communities, support for veterans in research and education, cybersecurity and national defense innovation, global leadership in science and technology. Join the week of action: Contact Congress: Switchboard: (202) 224-3121, tell them to protect NSF. Share your story: Post on social media #WithoutNSF #SupportNSF #SaveNSF, engage local media; use our media tool to reach out to local reporters and newspapers; engage others: communicate the importance of NSF to colleagues, friends, and family.

Join us in the evolution tri-societies Week of Action for NSF!

Call/write congress, engage with colleagues, friends and family about the importance of NSF funding!

Scan the QR code on the attached image for instructions and scripts.

We must make noise! Pls RT!!!!
#WithoutNSF #SaveNSF #SupportNSF

A few more obligatory shots in front of the Academy’s T-Rex!

Welcoming good friend, Dr. Piyawit Moonkham, of Chiang Mai University, Thailand! We will be working together for the next 2 1/2 months on research sponsored by the @calacademy.bsky.social Lakeside scholar program. Stay tuned for updates!

It was an honor to speak at the Traditional Foods Forum at #SfAA2025 #NWAC2025 with Mark Ramos and Tiffany Fulkerson! We were nervous about filling our 2 hour slot, but lucked out with incredibly engaged and insightful audience-we left inspired and energized about future research & collabs!

JD Vance is now in charge of making museums racist

Trump Orders Smithsonian Institution to Promote ‘American Greatness’ The president complained in an executive order that the Smithsonian had advanced “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”

Trump Orders Removal of ‘Divisive Race-Centered Ideology’ From Smithsonian

Trump executive order seeks to 'restore' American history through Smithsonian overhaul

how the mainstream media covered the racist trump attack on the smithsonian vs how we covered it @dailykos.com

read more here www.dailykos.com/stories/2025...

Trump officials will screen NIH funding opportunities Staff at biomedical agency worry about political interference in setting priorities

The NIH plans to resume posting notices of new solicitations for grant proposals. But there’s a catch: The HHS and DOGE will review each draft notice to ensure the research that will be funded aligns with the priorities of President Trump’s administration, Science has learned. scim.ag/3DJsafL

The Traditional Foods Forum at #SfAA2025 #NWAC2025 was a truly amazing and inspiring event! Thanks to the organizers and to Dr. Molly Carney for the invitation. I just wish I had more time to attend all the concurrent sessions. Hope this happens again!