Program in Early Cultures

Jada Ko is an anthropological archaeologist whose research is grounded in ancient Chinese societies. She uses animal remains from the archaeological record to investigate why certain animals are more susceptible to human impacts than others by studying the connections between memory, politics, and the environment. Her research applies zooarchaeological, historical, ethnographic, and biological data to reconstruct long-term changes in relationships between various species of freshwater turtles and land tortoises and human societies to address present-day turtle conservation issues.

Prior to Brown, Jada earned her PhD in Anthropology from Harvard University. In addition to her active research in bridging (zoo)archaeology with environmentalism, Jada is also working on a decade-long community-based ethnographic film project based in the Northwestern part of China. This project explores the roles of archaeologists in decolonizing scientific and political authority regarding access to heritage and nature.