Dr. Olivia A. Jones

Lead Curator, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex

Dr. Olivia A. Jones is the CWVA’s President. She is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) and an adjunct instructor at WVU, where she received two bachelor's degrees in anthropology and history in 2005.

Dr. Jones completed her master's degree in Aegean archaeology through University College London, and her doctorate from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. Her research focuses on applying bioarchaeological methods to Mycenaean (Late Bronze Age Greece) burial practices, with plans to examine pathology in infant human remains in the future.

According to her WVU profile, Dr. Jones' teaching specialties include “human osteology and the anthropology of death and mortuary practices,” and “[s]he is passionate about helping students think critically about the role of science and culture in forensic settings and archaeological contexts.” Her teaching experience has included lecture-based classes, as well as training students in laboratory and fieldwork settings.

She recently started the West Virginia University Archaeology Lab, which utilizes material culture from the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex to train students in laboratory work and analysis: https://sites.google.com/mix.wvu.edu/wvu-archaeology-lab/home?pli=1

She has also worked in cultural resource management (CRM) archaeology in the region, as well as participated in academic projects in Europe. Annually, she conducts fieldwork in Greece with funding from the Max Planck institute. Finally, she has been the recipient of research and travel grants and has completed many conference presentations and publications on Mycenaean culture, bioarchaeology, and funerary archaeology.