Dr. Sandra L. Olsen CV
Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Sandra L. Olsen
Curator in Charge, Division of Archaeology
Biodiversity Institute and Full Professor of Museum Studies
Spooner Hall
Room 6e 1340 Jayhawk Blvd.
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045
Office phone: 785-864-6511
Email: sandra.olsen@ku.edu
Websites:
Education
University of London, Institute of Archaeology, 1984
Degree: Ph.D., Archaeology
Thesis: "Analytical Approaches to the Manufacture and Use of Bone Artifacts in Prehistory"
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 1976
Degree: Master of Arts, Anthropology
Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, 1973
Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Magna cum Laude
Major: Anthropology; Minor: Sociology
Foreign Languages: Reading and some oral competence in Spanish, Italian, Russian, and French
Employment History
Museum Positions
2016-present Curator in Charge of Archaeology, Museum of Natural History, Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
2014-present Senior Curator of Archaeology, Museum of Natural History, Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
2010-2014 Director of the Center for World Cultures, Head of Anthropology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA
2003-present Full Curator of Anthropology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh
1995-2003 Associate Curator of Anthropology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh
1991-1994 Assistant Curator of Anthropology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh
1989-91 Assistant Curator of Archaeology, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville, VA
1984 Researcher, British Museum
1983 Curator, National Park Service, Western Archaeological Center, Tucson, Arizona.
1979-1982 Assistant Curator, Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona.
1978 Senior Preparator, Lowie Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley 1976-1978 Senior Preparator, Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley
Teaching/Research Positions
2014-present Full professor in Museum Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
2010-present: Guest lecturer in the team-taught Equine Industry online course, University of Guelph School of Medicine Natural History of Medicine.
2006-2012 Natural History of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine team-taught course.
2006-2014 Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
1991-2014 Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh
1991 Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, West Virginia University
1989-91 Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Virginia
1989 Visiting Assistant Professor, Continuing Studies Department, Johns Hopkins University
1987-1989 National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
1984-1986 Lecturer, Institute of Archaeology, University of London.
Courses Taught
Human Osteology, Zooarchaeology, Comparative Zooarchaeology Laboratory, Introduction to
Archaeology, Natural History of Medicine, Evolutionary Biology, Osteoarchaeology, Primitive
Technology, General Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Archaeology, European Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Archaeology
Service on Dissertation and Thesis Committees
2016: PhD Anthropology (Archaeology), external examiner, University of New Mexico
2016: PhD Anthropology (Archaeology), external examiner, University of Kansas
2016: MA Anthropology (Archaeology), external examiner, University of Kansas
2016: 3 MA Museum Studies, external examiner, University of Kansas
2015: PhD Anthropology (Archaeology), external examiner, Washington University, 2015: 2 PhD Anthropology (Archaeology), external examiner, University of Kansas.
2015: MA Museum Studies, advisor, University of Kansas
2014: 2 PhD Anthropology (Biological Anthropology, Archaeology), external examiner, University of Pittsburgh
2011 PhD Archaeology, external examiner, Leicester University, UK
2011 MA Applied Archaeology, external examiner, Indiana University of PA
2007 Honors Thesis, Undergraduate, Geology, external examiner, University of Pittsburgh
2006 Honors Thesis, Undergraduate, Anthropology, external examiner, Mercyhurst University
2003 PhD Archaeology, external examiner, Cambridge University
1998 Honors Thesis, Undergraduate, Anthropology, external examiner, University of Pittsburgh 1995 MA, Anthropology, external examiner, University of Pittsburgh
Editorial Positions
2004-2014 Member of Scientific Editorial Board and Anthropology Editor for Carnegie Annals, Carnegie Bulletins, and Carnegie Special Publications.
1989-91 General Editor, Virginia Museum of Natural History Scientific Publications.
Recent Grants and Awards
External Grants and Awards
National Endowment for the Humanities Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Program, implementation grant. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Anthropology Sustainable Collection Storage Improvement. Awarded August, 2014. Amount requested: $350,000. Principle Investigator: Sandra L. Olsen.
Layan Cultural Foundation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia public programming grant. 2013. Principle Investigator: Sandra L. Olsen. Amount awarded: $65,000.
National Endowment for the Humanities Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Program, planning grant, PF-50260-12, Carnegie Museum of Natural History Anthropology Sustainable Collection Storage Improvement. Duration 1 year, 2012-13. Principle Investigator: Sandra L. Olsen. Amount awarded: $39,500.
Layan Cultural Foundation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Documenting the Antiquity of the Horse and Chariot in Saudi Arabia: The Application of Combined Advanced Imaging Technology to Petroglyphs. Year 2,
2011. Principle Investigator: Sandra L. Olsen, Co-P.I’s: K. Christopher Beard and Majeed Khan. Amount awarded: $132,000.
Layan Cultural Foundation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Documenting the Antiquity of the Horse and Chariot in Saudi Arabia: The Application of Combined Advanced Imaging Technology to Petroglyphs. Year 1,
2010. Principle Investigator: Sandra L. Olsen, Co-P.I’s: K. Christopher Beard and Majeed Khan. Amount awarded: $230,000.
Layan Foundation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Stories in the Rocks: GigaPan Documentation of Petroglyphs in Saudi Arabia. 2009.Principle Investigator: Sandra L. Olsen, Co-P.I’s: K. Christopher Beard and Majeed Khan. Amount awarded: $125,000.
National Science Foundation, Major Research Instrumentation Program, DBI 0821644, duration 20082011: Acquisition of a Variable Pressure SEM to Enable Research, Education and Services at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Principle Investigator: John Rawlins, Co PI’s: Sandra Olsen, K. Christopher Beard, John Wible, Kerry Handron. Amount awarded: $280,000.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Research Grant, 2007-2008: CT-Scanning of an Ancient Egyptian Mummy for Medical Investigation Purposes. $14,400. Principle Investigator: Sandra Olsen.
National Science Foundation, Archaeology and Archaeometry Program, BCS 0534118, 2005 REU Supplement to NSF grant BCS 0415441. $3000. Principle Investigator: Sandra Olsen, Co PI: Bruce Bradley.
National Science Foundation, Archaeology and Archaeometry Program, BCS 0415441, duration 20042008: An Integrated Multidisciplinary Investigation of Early Horse Pastoralism in Northern Kazakhstan. $170,000. Principle Investigator: Sandra Olsen, Co PI: Bruce Bradley.
Fulbright Hays Foundation, June-July 2004: Contemporary Mongolia member of 12-person delegation to Mongolia to facilitate educational programs on Mongolia in the US. Grant was awarded to the University of Pittsburgh Honors College.
National Science Foundation, Archaeology and Archaeometry Program, BCS 0228606, 2002 REU Supplement to NSF grant BCS 9816476. $3000. Principle Investigator: Sandra Olsen, Co PI: Bruce Bradley.
National Science Foundation, Archaeology and Archaeometry Program, BCS 0124220, 2001 REU Supplement to NSF grant BCS 9816476. $3000. Principle Investigator: Sandra Olsen, Co PI: Bruce Bradley.
National Science Foundation, Archaeology and Archaeometry Program, 2000 REU Supplement to NSF grant BCS 9816476. $3000. Principle Investigator: Sandra Olsen, Co PI: Bruce Bradley.
National Science Foundation, Archaeology and Archaeometry Program, BCS 9816476, duration 19992003: Investigation of Krasnyi Yar, Kazakhstan: A Possible Locus for Horse Domestication. $210,000. Principle Investigator: Sandra Olsen, Co PI: Bruce Bradley.
FERCO (Foundation for Exploration and Research on Cultural Origins) 2000: (with Norah Moloney and Alan Walker). The Earliest Incursions of Hominids into Kazakhstan. $9900.
Ingall Foundation 2000: (with Alan Walker and Norah Moloney), Investigation of Early Palaeolithic Sites in the Batpak Valley of Central Kazakhstan. $18,000.
National Geographic Society, 1995: Adaptation to the Kazakh Steppes by Prehistoric Horse Hunters. $17,000.
L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, 1988: Solutré: A Taphonomic Study of a Unique Open-air Site. $2500.
Wenner-Gren Foundation, 1988: Seasonality and Hunting Strategies at Solutre: Methodological Study Comparing SEM and Optical Microscopic Techniques for Identifying Season of Death from Horse Tooth Cementum. $1600.
National Geographic Society, 1986: Hunting Strategies at Solutré, France. $1100.
Internal Grants through the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
O’Neil Research Grant, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 2007-2008: Investigation of the World’s Earliest Saddles and the Impact of this Innovation on Eurasian Steppe Nomads. $3400.
M. Graham Netting Grant, 2002: Village Planning at the Copper Age Settlement of Vasilkovka, Kazakhstan: A Remote Sensing Study. $6000.
M. Graham Netting Grant, 2000: Investigation of Bit Wear as a Reliable Test for Early Horse Domestication. $4515.
M. Graham Netting Grant, 1998: Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction at the Grotte des Eyzies, a Magdalenian Reindeer Hunters’ Site in SW France. $1500.
O’Neil Fund Grant for Field Research, 1996. Field Survey of Eneolithic Settlements in the West Siberian Plain. $3808.
M. Graham Netting Grant, 1996: Exploitation of Fauna at the Grotte des Eyzies, France. $5300.
M. Graham Netting Grant, 1995: Experimental Replication at the Prehistoric Horse Culture Site of Botai, Northern Kazakhstan. $6640.
M. Graham Netting Grant, 1994: Reconnaissance for Excavations at an Early Settlement in the Steppes of Kazakhstan. $5760.
O'Neil Fund Grant for Field Research, 1994: Investigations of Extraordinary Bone Artifacts from Mesolithic and Neolithic Bog Sites in the Upper Volga Region, Russia. $1400.
M. Graham Netting Grant, 1993: Evidence for the Spread of Central Asian Horse Cultures at the site of Botai, Northern Kazakhstan. $4000.
M. Graham Netting Grant, 1992: Investigations of Mogollon Bonework: SEM Analysis of Use Wear Traces on Prehistoric Southwestern Bone Artifacts. $4000.
Film Awards
Mongolia, Remote Realm of the Nomads was selected for the 2005 Musee del’Homme Mongolian Film Festival in Paris.
The 26th Annual Telly Award for Film and Video for producing “Mongolia: Living Nomads in Changing Landscapes” video, for the “Ancient Bronzes of the Eurasian Steppe” exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 2005.
The 19th Annual Telly Award for Film and Video for producing “The Dinosaur Puzzle” video, for the “Dinosaurs Live On” exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 1998.
Grant Panel Member
Anthropology panel member for Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship Program, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, Washington, DC.
Public Programs
Exhibitions
Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (8,000 sq. ft.)traveling exhibition hosted by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, June 22-November 3, 2013. Developer of computer interactive of Saudi Arabian rock art, text and photographs added to the exhibition.
The Horse: From Arabia to Royal Ascot. (15,000 sq. ft.) at the British Museum, London, UK, May 24September 30, 2012. Developer of major component: Saudi rock art computer interactive with 14 ft. wall projection.
The Hunt: Tlingit Totem Pole Carving by Artist Tommy Joseph. Live demonstration of totem pole carving followed by opening ceremony with musicians and permanent installation in Alcoa Hall for American Indians, Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Opening December 2014.
A Gift from the Desert. Temporary exhibition (9,000 sq. ft.) at the International Museum of the Horse, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, May 29-October 15, 2010. Co-curator.
The Horse. American Museum of Natural History traveling exhibit (8,000 sq. ft.), opened May 17, 2008. Co-Curator.
Mongolian Life. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Fall 2004-Winter 2005. Designer, text writer, producer of two videos, photographer, production and installation coordinator, public programs.
Early Horse Herders of the Asian Steppe. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Fall 2004-Winter 2005. Designer, text writer, producer of two videos, photographer, illustrator, production and installation coordinator, public programs.
Inventing Histories Panel Moderator, Carnegie Museum of Art, August 2001. Public forum on the concepts of museum acquisition and display and the public.
Celebration of the Horse. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Powdermill Nature Reserve, Fall 2000. Exhibition at St. Clair Show Grounds of 50 horses and 10 horse-drawn vehicles. Planner, organizer, scriptwriter.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History supplemental exhibit (artifacts from Israel, NASA space shuttle images, text, information panels) for Promise and Redemption: A Synagogue Mosaic from Sephoris, Fall 1998. Designer, computer interactive program designer, production and installation coordinator, public programs.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History supplemental exhibit (Paleolithic artifacts from Moesgaard Museum, Danish National Museum, and Moravian Museum) for Missing Links Alive, Fall 1998-Winter 1999. Designer, text writer, production and installation coordinator, public programs.
Dinosaurs Live On. Temporary exhibition (3500 sq. ft.), Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Spring1997-Winter 1998. Designer, text writer, graphics, production and installation coordinator, video producer, public programs.
Publications
Book and Edited Volumes
S.L. Olsen 2013
Stories in the Rocks: Exploring Saudi Arabian Rock Art. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA. Photography by Richard T. Bryant. 236 pp.
S.L. Olsen and Cynthia Culbertson 2010
A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse. International Museum of the Horse, Lexington, KY. 231 pp.
- L. Olsen, S. Grant, A. Choyke, and L. Bartosiewicz, (eds.) 2006
Horses and Humans: The Evolution of the Human-Equine Relationship. BAR, International Series 1560, Oxford, (375pp).
S.L. Olsen (ed.) 1996, reprinted in 2003 in paperback
Horses Through Time. Roberts Rinehart, Boulder, Colorado, (222pp).
S.L. Olsen (ed.)1988
Scanning Electron Microscopy in Archaeology. BAR, International Series 452, Oxford, (408 pp).
Journal Articles and Chapters in Edited Volumes
Schrader, Sarah A., Stuart Tyson Smith, Sandra Olsen, and Michele Buzon. Submitted in 2017 The Significance of the Kushite Horse During Sociopolitical Transition and State Development: The Burial of a Third Intermediate Period Chariot Horse at Tombos. Antiquity.
Olsen, S. L. in press (March 2017)
Insight on the ancient Arabian Horse from North Arabian Petroglyphs, Arabian Humanities 8. 32 pp.
Olsen, S. L. in press (2017)
Weighing the evidence for ancient Afro-Arabian Cultural Connections through Neolithic Rock Art, in D. A. Agius, E. Khalil, E. Scerri, and A. Williams, Red Sea VI Proceedings. E.J. Brill. 25 pp.
Olsen, S.L. 2016
The Roles of Humans in Horse Distribution Through Time. In Jason I. Ransom and Petra Kaczensky (eds.), Wild Equids: Ecology, Management, and Conservation. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, MD. 105-120.
Olsen, S.L. 2015.
Review of Peter Mitchell’s Horse Nations: The Worldwide Impact of the Horse on Indigenous Societies Post-1492, Oxford University Press. Journal of African Archaeology 13(2): 238-240.
Olsen, S.L. 2012
“Comments” on “Multi-regional Emergence of Mobile Pastoralism and Uniform Institutional Complexity across Eurasia,” by Michael D. Frachetti, in Current Anthropology, 2 pp.
Linduff, Katheryn M. and Sandra L. Olsen, 2010
Saddles Discovered In Western China Zaghunluq(轧滚鲁克 )(761 + 61 BCE) and Subeshi(苏贝希) (480 + 85 – 230 + 85 BCE) Xinjiang. Chinese Journal of Eurasian Studies. 15 pp.
Outram, A; N. Stear; R. Bendrey; S. Olsen; A. Kasparov; D.Chivall; V. Zaibert; N.Thorpe and R. Evershed 2009
Earliest Horse Harnessing and Milking in the Eneolithic of Prehistoric Eurasia, Science, Vol. 323:1332-1335.
Ingham, S., S. Olsen, F. Fu, M. Moreland 2009
The Death of an Egyptian Boy. Pittsburgh Orthopaedic Journal, 20:97.
Olsen, S.L. 2008
The Inception of Horse Pastoralism. In General Anthropology, Bulletin of the General Anthropology Division, American Anthropological Association, 15(1):pp. 1, 5-6.
Olsen, S.L. 2008
Hoofprints. Natural History 117(4): 26-32.
Olsen, S.L. and D. Harding 2008
Women’s Attire and Possible Sacred Role in 4th Millennium Northern Kazakhstan. In K. Linduff and K. Rubinson (eds.), Are All Warriors Male? Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, Lexington Books, and Madison Books, 67-92.
Allard, F., D. Erdenebaatar, S. Olsen, A. Cavalla, and E. Maggiore 2007
Ritual and horses in Bronze Age and present-day Mongolia: Some preliminary observations from Khanuy Valley. In L. Popova, C. Hartley, and A. Smith (eds.), Social Orders and Social Landscapes: Proceedings of the 2005 University of Chicago Conference on Eurasian Archaeology. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press. Pp.151-167.
Olsen, S.L. 2007
Conclusions: Bone Artifacts and their Importance to Archaeology. In Christian Gates St. Pierre and Renee B. Walker (eds.), Recent Developments in Bone Tool Studies. Oxford: BAR International Series 1622: 175-182.
Olsen, S.L. 2006
Early horse domestication on the Eurasian steppe, in M. A. Zeder, D.G. Bradley, E. Emshwiller, and B. D. Smith, Documenting Domestication: New Genetic and Archaeological Paradigms. Berkeley: University of California Press: 245-269.
Olsen, S. L. 2006
Introduction, in S.L. Olsen, S. Grant, A.M. Choyke and L. Bartosiewicz (eds.), Horses and Humans: The Evolution of Human-Equine Relationships. Oxford: BAR International Series 1560:1-10.
Olsen, S.L. 2006
Early horse domestication: Weighing the evidence. In S.L. Olsen, S. Grant, A.M. Choyke and L. Bartosiewicz (eds.), Horses and Humans: The Evolution of Human-Equine Relationships. Oxford: BAR, International Series 1560: 81-113.
Olsen, S.L., B. Bradley, D. Maki, and A. Outram 2006
Community organisation among Copper Age sedentary horse pastoralists of Kazakhstan. In D. Peterson, L.M. Popova, and A.T. Smith (eds.), Beyond the Steppe and Sown: Proceedings of the 2002 University of Chicago Conference on Eurasian Archaeology, Colloquia Pontica13. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers: 89-111.
Olsen, S.L. and I. Glover 2004
The bone industries of Ulu Leang 1 and Leang Burung 1 rockshelters, Sulawesi, Indonesia, in S. Keates and J. Pasveer (eds.), Quaternary Research in Southeast Asia. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 273300.
Olsen, S.L. 2003
The bone and antler artefacts: Their manufacture and use. In N. Field and M. Parker Pearson (eds.), Fiskerton: An Iron Age Timber Causeway with Iron Age and Roman Votive Offerings.Oxbow Books, Oxford, pp. 92-111.
Olsen, S.L. 2003
The exploitation of horses at Botai, Kazakhstan, in M. Levine, C. Renfrew and K. Boyle (eds.), Prehistoric Steppe Adaptation and the Horse. McDonald Institute Monographs. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, pp. 83-104.
Olsen, S.L. 2002
Comments on “Archaeology and language: the Bronze Age Indo-Iranians,” by C.C. LambergKarlovsky. Current Anthropology 43(1)80-81.
N. Moloney, S. L. Olsen, and V. Voloshin 2001
Lower and Middle Palaeolithic occupation in Central Kazakhstan: The Batpak valley and environs. In S. Milliken and J. Cook (eds.), A Very Remote Period Indeed. Oxbow Books, Oxford, pp.138-143.
Olsen, S.L. 2001
The importance of thong-smoothers at Botai, Kazakhstan. In A. Choyke and L. Bartosiewicz (eds.), Crafting Bone: Skeletal Technologies through Time and Space. BAR International Series 937, Oxford, pp. 197-206.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
The Upper Paleolithic bone industry of Klithi Rock Shelter, northwest Greece. Annals of Carnegie Museum 69(4): 209-226.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
Reflections of ritual behavior at Botai, Kazakhstan. In K. Jones-Bley, M. Huld, and A. Della Volpe (eds.) Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual UCLA Indo-European Conference. Journal of IndoEuropean Studies Monograph Series No. 35. Institute for the Study of Man, Washington, D.C., pp.183-207.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
The sacred and secular roles of dogs at Botai, Kazakhstan. In S. Crockford (ed.), Dogs Through Time: The Archaeological Evidence. B.A.R., International Series 889, Oxford, pp.71-92.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
The bone artifacts. In A. Moore, G. Hillman, and A. Legge (eds.), Village on the Euphrates: From Foraging to Farming at Abu Hureyra. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 154-163.
Olsen, S.L. 1999
Investigation of the Phanourios bones for evidence of cultural modification, Chapter 9, Specialized Analysis, Section 5. In A. H. Simmons (ed.), Faunal Extinction in an Island Society: Pygmy Hippopotamus Hunters of Cyprus. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 230-237.
Olsen, S.L. 1998
Animals in Native American life. Chapter 6 in Marsha Bol (ed.), Stars Above, Earth Below: Essays on Native Americans and Nature. Roberts Rinehart, Niwot, Colorado, pp. 95-118.
Olsen, S.L. 1997
Horse hunting strategies in the Paleolithic. In F. Alhaique, et. al. (eds.), XIII International Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences, Forlì, Italy, 1996: The Proceedings, Vol. 6. A.B.A.C.O., Forlì, Italy.
Olsen, S.L. 1996
Prehistoric adaptation to the Kazak steppes. In G. Afanas’ev, S. Cleuziou, J. Lukacs, and M. Tosi (eds.), The Colloquia of the XIII International Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences, Vol. 16: The Prehistory of Asia and Oceania. A.B.A.C.O. Edizioni, Forlì, Italy, pp. 49-60.
Olsen, S.L. 1996
Introduction. In S. Olsen (ed.), Horses Through Time. Roberts Rinehart, Boulder, Colorado, pp. 110.
Olsen, S.L. 1996
Horse hunters of the Ice Age. In S. Olsen (ed.), Horses Through Time. Roberts Rinehart, Boulder, Colorado, pp. 35-56.
Olsen, S.L. 1996
In the winner's circle: the history of equestrian sports. In S. Olsen (ed.), Horses Through Time. Roberts Rinehart, Boulder, Colorado, pp. 103-128.
Olsen, S.L. and J.W. Olsen 1996
An Analysis of Faunal Remains from Wind Mountain, Appendix 8. In A.I. Woosley and A.J. McIntyre (eds.), Mimbres Mogollon Archaeology: Charles C. Di Peso’s Excavations at Wind Mountain. Amerind Foundation Publications No. 10, Amerind Foundation, Dragoon, AZ, and The University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, pp. 389-406.
Shnirelman, V.A., S.L. Olsen and P. Rice 1996
Hooves across the steppes: The Kazak life-style. In S. Olsen (ed.), Horses Through Time. Roberts Rinehart, Boulder, Colorado, pp. 129-154.
Olsen, S.L. 1995
Pleistocene horse-hunting at Solutré: Why bison jump analogies fail. In E. Johnson (ed.), Ancient Peoples and Landscapes. Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, Texas, pp. 65-75.
Olsen, S.L. 1994
Exploitation of mammals at the Early Bronze Age site of West Row Fen (Mildenhall 165), Suffolk, England. Annals of the Carnegie Museum 63(2):115-153.
Olsen, S.L. and P. Shipman 1994
Cutmarks and perimortem treatment of skeletal remains on the Northern Plains. In D. Owsley and R. Jantz (eds.) Skeletal Biology in the Great Plains: A Multidisciplinary View. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 377-387.
Olsen, S. L. 1992
Taphonomy. 1992 McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology. McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, New York.
Olsen, S.L. 1989
The 1988 research at Solutré, France. AnthroQuest 40: 6-18.
Olsen, S.L. 1989
On distinguishing natural from cultural damage on archaeological antler. Journal of Archaeological Science 16:125-135.
Olsen, S.L. 1989
Solutré: A theoretical approach to the reconstruction of Upper Palaeolithic hunting strategies. Journal of Human Evolution 18: 295-327.
Olsen, S.L. 1988
Introduction: applications of scanning electron microscopy to archaeology. In S.L. Olsen (ed.), Scanning Electron Microscopy in Archaeology, BAR, International Series, 452, Oxford, pp. 3-7.
Olsen, S.L. 1988
The identification of stone and metal tool marks on bone artifacts. In S.L. Olsen (ed.), Scanning Electron Microscopy in Archaeology, BAR, International Series, 452, Oxford, pp. 337-360.
Olsen, S.L. 1988
Applications of scanning electron microscopy in archaeology. Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics, 71: 357-380.
Olsen, S.L. and P. Shipman 1988
Surface modification on bone: trampling vs. butchery. Journal of Archaeological Science 15 (5): 535553.
Olsen, S.L. 1987
Magdalenian reindeer exploitation at the Grotte des Eyzies, southwest France. Archaeozoologia, 1987, 1: 171-182.
Arndt (Olsen). S.L. and M.H. Newcomer 1986
Breakage patterns on prehistoric bone points: an experimental study. In D. Roe (ed.), Studies in the Upper Palaeolithic of Britain and Northwest Europe. BAR, International Series 296, Oxford, pp.165173.
Sales, K.D., A.D. Oduwole, G.V. Robins, and S.L. Olsen 1985
The radiation and thermal dependence of ESR signals in ancient and modern bones. Nuclear Tracks 10(4-6): 845-851.
Olsen, S.L. 1983
Zooarchaeological study of archaeological sites in the Farmington area. In L.I. Vogler (ed.), Human adaptation and cultural change: the archaeology of Block III, N.I.I.O. Navajo National Papers in Anthropology 15(4): 1797-1844.
Olsen, S.L. 1982
AZ V:9:105 faunal remains from excavation. In J.J. Reid (ed.), Cholla Project Archaeology 4: the Tonto-Roosevelt Region, Arizona State Museum Archaeological Series 161: 160.
Olsen, S.L. 1982
Faunal analysis. In T.J. Ferguson and B.J. Mills (eds.), Archaeological Investigations at Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, 1977-1980, Zuni Archaeology Program Report 183: 390-428.
Olsen, S.L. and J.W. Olsen 1981
A comment on nomenclature in faunal analysis. American Antiquity 46(1): 192-194.
Olsen, S.L. 1981
Bone artifacts from Las Colinas, Appendix D. In L.C. Hammack and A.P. Sullivan (eds.), Mound 8, Las Colinas Group, Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona State Museum Archaeological Series 154: 291-295.
Olsen, S.L. 1980
Bone artifacts from Kinishba Ruin: their manufacture and use. Kiva 45(4): 39-67.
Olsen, S.L. 1979
A study of bone artifacts from Grasshopper Pueblo, AZ P:14:1. Kiva 44(4): 341-373.
Olsen, S.L. 1977
Faunal analysis of four sites, Appendix E. In D. E. Doyel (ed.), Excavations in the Middle Santa Cruz River Valley, Southwestern Arizona. Arizona State Museum Contributions to Highway Salvage Archaeology in Arizona 44: 178-186.
Book Reviews
Olsen, S. L. (in press)
Review of Animals as Domesticates: A World View through History, by Juliet Clutton-Brock. Michigan State University. 2012. Anthrozoos.
Olsen, S.L. 1991
Review of Thoughtful Foragers: A Study of Prehistoric Decision Making, by Stephen Mithen. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 86:1.
Olsen, S.L. 1985
Review of Excavations at Grimes Graves, Norfolk 1972-1976, Fascicule 1, Neolithic Antler Picks from Grimes Graves, Norfolk, and Durrington Walls, Wiltshire: a Biometrical Analysis by J. CluttonBrock. Quaternary Research 47: 48-49.
Popular Articles
Olsen, S. L. 2008
This Old Thing? Copper Age Fashion Comes to Life. In Archaeology 61 (1): 46-47.
Olsen, S.L. 2007-2008
Ancient Artisans of the Asian Steppe. In El Palacio 112(4) Winter: 58-64.
Olsen, S.L.
A Traveler’s Diary: The Jeweled Kingdoms of Southeast Asia. In Carnegie Magazine, Summer 2007, p. 63.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
Beware of dogs facing west. Archaeology 53(4): 23.
Olsen, S.L. 1993
The dawn horse returns to North America. Carnegie Magazine 61(7): 10.
Olsen, S.L. 1990
The importance of the white-tailed deer in Virginia prehistory. The Virginia Explorer 6(5): 10.
Olsen, S.L. 1990
An 11,000 year history of Virginia cuisine. The Virginia Explorer 6(2): 9-11.
Moncrief, N. and S.L. Olsen 1989
Why reindeer are our Christmas symbols. The Virginia Explorer 5(12): 14-15.
Olsen, S. L. 1989
Behind the scenes in archaeology. The Virginia Explorer 5(9): 15-16.
Olsen, S.L. 1979
Birds. Encyclopedia of Indians in the Americas 3: 151-156. Scholarly Press, St. Clair Shores, Michigan.
RECENT FIELD WORK
Recent Field Work
2011 Director of fieldwork and GigaPan photographic documentation of five petroglyph localities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Jubbah, Ha’il, al Ula, Taima, and Bir Hima.
2010 Director of fieldwork and GigaPan photographic documentation of four petroglyph localities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Jubbah, Shuwaymis, Bir Hima, and Graffiti Rocks.
2006 Director of Neolithic Zhusan Quarry and Copper Age settlement of Troitskoe 5 project, northern
Kazakhstan, and Archaeologist and Remote Sensing Program Director for Copper Age-Iron Age Bestamak Cemetery and Regional Archaeological Project, western Kazakhstan. Remote sensing program at Medieval fortress of Buzuk, near Astana, Kazakhstan.
2005 Director of Northern Kazakhstan Regional Environmental and Isotopic Research Program involving 13 lake cores, sampling of 300 localities, and transecting ancient horse corral at Copper Age Krasnyi Yar settlement.
2004 Zooarchaeologist on the Khanauy Valley archaeological project, central Mongolia, directed by Francis Allard.
2002 Director of excavation project at Copper Age settlement of Vasilkovka, northern Kazakhstan.
2000-2001 Director of excavation project at Neolithic camp of Zhusan, Neolithic quarry of Zhartas, and Copper Age settlement of Krasnyi Yar, northern Kazakhstan.
1993-1996 Co-Director of excavation project at Copper Age settlement of Botai, northern Kazakhstan.
1993 Excavation of Utëvka 1, a Bronze Age kurgan near Samara, Russia, with D. Anthony.
1991 Director of the Saltville Paleoecological and Archaeological Field School, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in Saltville Virginia.
1990 Excavation and taphonomic analysis at Akrotiri Site B, Cyprus, directed by A. Simmons, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
1990 Field research on the natural history of the flying lemur (Cynocephalus variegatus) in Sabah and Sarawak, Borneo, with K.C. Beard.
1985-1989 Geographic survey and faunal analysis of Solutré, a Middle Palaeolithic through Upper Palaeolithic horse kill site, east central France.
1985 Excavation at Klithi, an Upper Palaeolithic site in northern Greece, directed by G. Bailey, Cambridge University.
1981 Survey of Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites in Inner Mongolia, China, with the Museum of Inner Mongolia.
Professional Meetings
Symposium or Conference Organizer
Olsen, S.L. 2010
Conference Organizer: Equids in the Ancient Near East, Egypt and Arabia, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY.
Olsen, S. L. 2004
Symposium Organizer: Animal Symbolism in the Eurasian Steppe, Society for American Archaeology meeting, Montreal.
Olsen, S.L. 2001
Symposium Organizer: Eurasian Steppe Economies and Technologies, Society for American Archaeology Conference, New Orleans.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
Conference Organizer of the Horses and Humans: The Evolution of Equine Roles in Society, Carnegie Museum of Natural History Powdermill Nature Reserve, Rector, PA.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
Symposium Organizer: Current Research in Central Asian Steppe Prehistory, Society for American Archaeology Conference, Philadelphia.
Olsen, S.L. 1989
Symposium Organizer: New Directions in European Prehistory. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Atlanta.
Olsen, S.L. 1990
Workshop Organizer: Scanning Electron Microscopy. International Council for Archaeozoology Conference, Washington, D.C.
Olsen, S.L. 1986
Conference Organizer: The Scanning Electron Microscopy in Archaeology, University of London.
Presenter/ Author
Olsen, S. 2016
Sacred Spaces vs. Public “Billboards” in Saudi Arabian Rock Art Placement. Oral presentation at the Society for American Archaeology conference, Orlando, FL, April 8.
Olsen, S.L. 2013
Rock Art Evidence for Ancient Afro-Arabian Cultural Connections. Oral presentation at The Red Sea: Past and Present and Future ChallengesConference, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, March 17-22.
Olsen, S.L. 2012
The Evidence is Carved in Stone: Documenting Arabian Horse Images in Saudi Petroglyphs. Oral presentation at the British Museum opening symposium Horses from the Middle East and Beyond, London, UK, May 25.
Olsen, S.L. 2012
A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse, Guest Lecture at the Pyramid Society’s Egyptian Event, Lexington, Kentucky, June 9.
Olsen, S.L. 2012
The Roles of Humans in Horse Distribution through Time. Plenary speech, International Wild Equid conference at the University of Veterinary Medicine, in Vienna, Austria, September 18-22.
Olsen, S.L. 2012
A Day in the Life of the Botai Horse-Herders. Plenary lecture, Fourth Eurasian Archaeology Conference, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, October 11-12.
Olsen, S.L. 2010
Desertification in Saudi Arabia and its Impact on Native Fauna and Ancient Cultures: New Data from Ancient Rock Art, Biological Implications of Climate Change: Past and Present symposium, Science 2010: Transformations, University of Pittsburgh.
K. C. Beard and Olsen, S.L. 2010
The Saudi Arabian Rock Art Project: Diverse Applications of GigaPan Technology, Panel Discussion, Fine International Conference on Gigapixel Imaging for Science, Pittsburgh, PA.
Olsen, S.L. 2010
Documenting the Ancient Origins of the Samoyed, Samoyed Club of America Conference, Pigeon Forge, TN. Guest speaker.
Olsen, S.L. 2010
The Inception of the Arabian Breed, ca. 1400 BCE, Equids in the Ancient Near East, Egypt and Arabia Conference, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY.
Olsen, S.L. 2010
The Impact of Cultural Perceptions and Status on Equine Welfare, The Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence
Symposium “Hoof beats and Society: The Horse-Human Relationship,” Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University.
Olsen, S.L. 2009
The Horse in Ancient Egypt, the Near East, and Arabia, Biblical Archaeology Society, Pittsburgh.
Olsen, S.L. 2009
Taming the Wild Steed: The Origins of Horse Domestication and Its Impact on Humanity, American Institute of Archaeology Lecture, St. Louis, MO.
Olsen, S.L. 2009
Building on Darwin’s Insight in Uncovering the Origins of Horse Domestication. Evidence for Evolution: A Celebration of Charles Darwin’s 200th Birthday, Duquesne University.
Olsen, S.L. 2008
Applications of Chemical Analyses to Identify Earliest Horse Domestication, The 2008 Tripartite Symposium Chemistry in Art and Archaeology, University of Pittsburgh.
Olsen, S.L. 2008
The Roles of American Museums in Protecting Antiquities, Oral presentation at the SAFE (Save Antiquities for Everyone) Vigil, in remembrance of the 5th anniversary of the sacking of the Iraqi Museum, in Baghdad. University of Pittsburgh.
Olsen, S.L., M.F. Rosenmeier, R.C. Capo, and D. Maki 2008
Magnetic Gradient Imaging and Geochemical Evidence for Early Horse Corralling in Northern Kazakhstan. Paper presented at the Society for American Archaeology meeting, Vancouver, BC.
Lucio, T. M., A. Nagy, S. L. Olsen, J.D. Towers, MD 2008
Possible Macrocephaly in a Ptolemaic Child Mummy. Paper presented at the American Association of Physical Anthropology meeting, Columbus, OH.
Linduff, K.M. and S.L. Olsen 2007
Saddles Discovered in Western China: Zaghunluq (761 + 61 BCE) and Subeshi (480 + 85 – 230 + 85 BCE), Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. Paper presented at the First International Congress of Eurasian Archaeology, Cesme, Turkey.
Olsen, S.L. 2007
A Possible Copper Age Shaman’s House in Northern Kazakhstan. Paper presented at the First International Congress of Eurasian Archaeology, Cesme, Turkey.
Olsen, S.L. 2007
Copper Age Bone Artifacts from the Botai Horse Herders of Northern Kazakhstan. Paper presented at the International Council for Archaeozoology Worked Bone Working Group symposium, Paris.
Olsen, S.L. 2007
Mummies, Bog People and Other Ancient Human Remains: What They Reveal about the Origins and History of Diseases. Workshop held at the National Histotechnology Association meeting, Wilmington, DE.
Sikora, M.T., M.F. Rosenmeier, F. Allard, and S.L. Olsen 2007
Tooth Enamel Oxygen and Carbon Isotope Variations in Modern Central Asian Horses: Development of a Calibration Database for the Interpretation of Stable Isotope Signals Preserved in Fossil Horse Remains from Archaeological Sites. American Geological Union conference oral presentation.
Olsen, S.L. 2006
The Sun’s Steeds and Canine Guardians: Shedding Light on Copper Age Animal Sacrifice in
Kazakhstan. Paper presented at the International Council for Archaeozoology meeting in Mexico City.
Olsen, S.L. 2006
The Bronze Age: Not so Simple After All. New Research Directions in Eurasian Steppe Archaeology: The Emergence of Complex Societies in the Third to First Millennia BCE Symposium, University of Pittsburgh.
Olsen, S.L. 2005
Reconstruction of Clothing and Fabric from Archaeological Evidence at Botai, Kazakhstan. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Salt Lake City.
Olsen, S.L. 2005
Fiber Technology in the Copper Age Botai Culture of Northern Kazakhstan. The Second University of Chicago Eurasian Archaeology Conference.
Olsen, S.L. 2004
Wings, Horns, and Claws: Fabulous Beasts in Kazakh Prehistory. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Montreal.
Olsen, S.L. 2003
Remote Sensing of Botai Horse Pastoralist Villages in Northern Kazakhstan. European Archaeology Association Conference, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Olsen, S.L., B. Bradley, and D. Maki 2002
Copper Age Community Organization in Northern Kazakhstan. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Denver.
Olsen, S.L., B. Bradley, and D. Maki 2002
Social Organization and Settlement Patterns at Botai Culture Sites in Kazakhstan. Eurasian Prehistory Conference, Chicago.
Olsen, S.L. 2002
Horned Horses, Griffins, Sphinxes, and other Sacred Beasts in Kazakh Prehistory. International Council for Archaeozoology Conference, Durham, England.
Olsen, S.L. 2001
Key Elements: Unusual Curation Patterns in Animal Remains from the Eneolithic of Kazakhstan. Society for American Archaeology Conference, New Orleans.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
The Exploitation of Horses at Botai, Kazakhstan. Late Prehistoric Exploitation of the Eurasian Steppe Symposium, Cambridge University, Cambridge.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
Expressions of Ritual Behavior at Botai, Kazakhstan. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Philadelphia.
Olsen, S.L., D. Harding, and K. Jones-Bley 2000
Reviving their Fragile Technologies: Reconstructing Perishables from Pottery Impressions at Botai, Kazakhstan. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Philadelphia.
Jones-Bley, K. and S.L. Olsen 2000
The Eneolithic Pottery Technology from the Botai culture of North-Central Kazakhstan. European Archaeological Association meeting, Lisbon.
Olsen, S.L. 2000
Incipient Horse Domestication: Sorting Out the Evidence. Horses and Humans: The Evolution of Human-Equine Relationships Symposium, Carnegie Museum of Natural History Powdermill Nature Reserve, Rector, PA.
Olsen, S.L. 1999
Bone Artifacts as Important Life-Style Indicators in the Kazakhstan Eneolithic. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Chicago.
Olsen, S.L. 1999
Expressions of Ritual Behavior at Botai, Kazakhstan. Indo-European Studies Conference, Los Angeles, California.
Olsen, S.L. 1998
The Dogs of Botai, North-Central Kazakhstan. International Council for Archaeozoology Conference, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Olsen, S.L. 1997
A Model for Incipient Horse Domestication Based on the Eneolithic Botai Culture and Modern Kazak Pastoralism. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Nashville.
Olsen, S.L. 1996
Horse Hunting Strategies in the Paleolithic. XIII International Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (U.I.S.P.P.), Forlì, Italy.
Olsen, S.L. 1996
Prehistoric Adaptation to the Kazak Steppes. XIII International Congress of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (U.I.S.P.P.), Forlì, Italy.
Olsen, S.L. 1995
Botai, a Prehistoric Settlement of Horse Hunters in Kazakhstan. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Minneapolis.
Olsen, S.L. 1994
The Horse Hunters of the Eneolithic Site of Botai, Kazakhstan. International Council for Archaeozoology Conference, Konstanz, Germany.
Olsen, S.L. 1994
Decorated Horse Phalanges and other Bone Artifacts from Botai, Kazakhstan. Bone Modification Working Group Conference, Konstanz, Germany.
Olsen, S.L. 1993
Prehistoric Perforating Techniques on Bone Artifacts. Bone Modification Working Group Symposium, Hot Springs, South Dakota.
Olsen, S.L. 1991
Chaos in Prehistory: The Complexities of Reconstructing Paleolithic Hunting and Foraging Strategies. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Pittsburgh.
Olsen, S.L. 1990
Reconstructing Prehistoric Funerary Practices from Human Skeletal Remains in Virginia Burial Mounds. American Association of Physical Anthropologists Conference, Miami.
Olsen, S.L., J. Hantman and G. Dunham 1990
Ritual Processes in the Virginia Accretional Mounds. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Las Vegas.
Olsen, S.L. 1990
Bone Hairpins as a Male Status Symbol in the Prehistoric American Southwest. International Council for Archaeozoology Conference, Washington, D.C.
Olsen, S.L. 1990
Pleistocene Horse-hunting at Solutre: Why Bison Jump Analogies Fail. Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration of the Lubbock Lake Monument, Lubbock, Texas.
Olsen, S.L. 1989
A Theoretical Approach to Upper Palaeolithic Horse Hunting Strategies at Solutre, France. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.
Olsen, S.L. 1988
Big Game Hunting in the Upper Palaeolithic of Europe. American Association for the Advancement of Science, Boston.
Olsen, S.L. 1988
Bone Artifacts from Abu Hureyra, Syria. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Phoenix.
Olsen, S.L. and Pat Shipman 1988
Trampling and Cutmarks: Mirages or Mimics? International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
Olsen, S.L. 1988
Cutmarks and Perimortem Treatment of Skeletal Remains on the Northern Plains. Plains Conference, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas.
Olsen, S.L. 1986
Identification of Stone and Metal Tool Marks on Bronze and Iron Age Bone Artifacts. Scanning Electron Microscopy in Archaeology Conference, London.
Olsen, S.L. 1986
Reindeer from the Grotte des Eyzies (Dordogne), France: Exploitation Strategies and Butchering Patterns. International Congress of Archaeozoology Conference, Bordeaux
Olsen, S.L. 1985
Exploitation of Fauna at the Grotte des Eyzies (Dordogne), Southwest France. Association for Environmental Archaeology Conference, London.
Olsen, S.L. 1981
Scanning Electron Microscopy and the Study of Microwear on Bone Artifacts. Society for American Archaeology Conference, San Diego.
Olsen, S.L. 1980
Nutritional and Agricultural Research as an Aid to Historic Faunal Analysis. Society for Historical Archaeology Conference, Albuquerque.
Olsen, S.L. 1978
Microwear Analysis of Utilized Bone from Grasshopper Ruin, Arizona. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Tucson.
Posters
Olsen, S. 2016
Tracing the Arabian Horse in Ancient Saudi Arabian Petroglyphs, Poster presented at the American School for Oriental Research conference, San Antonio, TX, Nov. 18.
Olsen, S. L., A. M. Nagy, T.M. Lucio, and J.D. Towers 2008
The Boy from Abydos: CT Scanning of a Ptolemaic Dynasty Egyptian Mummy. Poster presented at the American Association of Physical Anthropology meeting, Columbus, OH.
Brubaker, Tonya M., Elizabeth C. Fidler, Rosemary C. Capo, Sandra L. Olsen, Justin D. Hynicka, Marion Sikora, and Michael F. Rosenmeier 2006
Strontium Isotopic Investigation 0f Horse Pastoralism at Eneolithic Botai Settlements in Northern Kazakhstan. Presented at the 2006 Geological Society of America Conference, Philadelphia.
Stiff, Andrew, Rosemary C. Capo, James Gardiner, Sandra L. Olsen, and Michael Rosenmeier 2006 Geochemical Evidence of Possible Horse Domestication at the Copper Age Botai Settlement of Krasnyi Yar, Kazakhstan. Presented at the 2006 Geological Society of America Conference, Philadelphia.
Olsen, S.L. 1990
Solifluction as a Major Taphonomic Process at Solutre, France. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Las Vegas.
Discussant
Olsen, S.L. 2006
New Research Directions in Eurasian Steppe Archaeology Symposium, University of Pittsburgh Anthropology Department.
Olsen, S.L. 2004
Recent Developments in Bone Tool Studies Symposium. Society for American Archaeology Conference, Montreal.