Elic Weitzel
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elicweitzel.bsky.social
Elic Weitzel
@elicweitzel.bsky.social
Ecological anthropologist and postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

David Graeber retweeted me once

linktr.ee/ElicWeitzel
For any graduate students in anthropology/archaeology, the Smithsonian is accepting applications for a 10-week in-residence fellowship to use the Museum of Natural History collections to study a topic related to Indigenous cultures. $15k award. Apps due Aug 1!

fellowships.si.edu/opportunity/...
The Robert D. Hevey, Jr. and Constance M. Filling Fellowship in Anthropology
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fellowships.si.edu
July 7, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
What can centuries-old deer bones teach us about conservation? 🦌 @elicweitzel.bsky.social analyzes these bones to study unsustainable practices of the past. His work could help us avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

today.uconn.edu/2025/06/how-...
How Economics Nearly Drove New England’s White-Tailed Deer to Extinction - UConn Today
“Once you start commodifying animals and commodifying nature, problems happen”
today.uconn.edu
June 2, 2025 at 6:05 PM
My new paper on early evidence for colonial-era white-tailed deer declines was just featured in UConn Today!

“Once you start commodifying animals and commodifying nature, problems happen.”

today.uconn.edu/2025/06/how-...
How Economics Nearly Drove New England’s White-Tailed Deer to Extinction - UConn Today
“Once you start commodifying animals and commodifying nature, problems happen”
today.uconn.edu
June 2, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Check out my new article in @us.theconversation.com about white-tailed deer historical ecology! It's a broad overview of the entirety of human-deer interactions in the eastern U.S., but also features some of my latest work on the topic.

theconversation.com/the-rise-and...
The rise and fall – and rise again – of white-tailed deer
A new archaeological study finds early evidence of white-tailed deer declines in the 17th century, likely driven by the commodification of deerskins under colonial capitalism.
theconversation.com
May 29, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Giving a talk on deer historical ecology in Sterling, VA next month at Crooked Run Fermentation Brewery! Come grab a drink and hang out! Tickets available below:

www.ticketleap.events/tickets/prof...
Profs & Pints Northern Virginia: Deer to Us
Profs and Pints Northern Virginia presents: “Deer to Us,” on more than 12,000 years of interactions between eastern North America’s white-tailed deer and human residents, with Elic Weitzel, postdocto...
www.ticketleap.events
May 18, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Pleased to share my new paper on the Commodification of White-Tailed Deer in 17th century Southern New England! In it, I find evidence for increased hunting pressure on deer from the late 17th c., suggesting their population declined soon after Europeans arrived

authors.elsevier.com/a/1l60c-JVc4...
May 16, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
Job announcement 🚨: paid fieldwork opportunity with Sanguatsiniq research project! Details in thread ⬇️ Please share!
May 7, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Had a great time at #SAA2025 talking about the evidence (or lack thereof) for overhunting white-tailed deer
April 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Read the @51st.news instead of @washingtonpost.com. Independent worker-controlled news beats the hell out of undemocratic pro-billionaire propaganda...
SCOOP: WaPo Opinion editor David Shipley is out. Jeff Bezos emails staff about a change to Post Opinions: "We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets."
February 26, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Just about one week left until the deadline! Undergrads - get those applications in!
I'm hiring two upper-level undergraduates (or recent graduates) this August for a 3 week long PAID Smithsonian internship in Connecticut. We'll be visiting several archaeological collections to measure quahog clam shells!

Please share!

Apply here by March 1:

internships.si.edu/opportunity/...
Marine Historical Ecology and Zooarchaeology Internship
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internships.si.edu
February 20, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
If you're in DC on Thursday, February 20th, stop by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - I'll be on the floor of the museum talking about the historical ecology of white-tailed deer!

naturalhistory.si.edu/events/histo...
The History of White-Tailed Deer Hunting
With the large numbers of deer that wander through our backyards and in front of our cars, you would never know that the species nearly went extinct a century ago. Come learn from historical ecologist...
naturalhistory.si.edu
January 31, 2025 at 10:38 PM
A reporter from Newsweek interviewed me about what I personally consider to be some of the most interesting archaeological sites to visit in the US. Check it out!

Which sites did I miss?

www.newsweek.com/best-archaeo...
Most fascinating ancient sites in the U.S.—according to an archaeologist
The U.S. is full of archaeological sites, "but in most cases you could be standing right on top of one and never know it," Elic Weitzel told Newsweek.
www.newsweek.com
February 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
If anyone is looking for fieldwork funding, the Scientific Exploration Society could help. I received their Sir Charles Blois Explorer Award last year, and it's going to help fund my fieldwork this summer. The first round of applications are due in a week!

ses-explore.org/about-our-ex...
About our Explorer Awards | Scientific Exploration SocietyVisit our FacebookVisit our InstagramVisit our LinkedInVisit our YouTube channelcross-circleVMLogolinkedinfacebookpinterestyoutubersstwitterin...
ses-explore.org
February 7, 2025 at 9:56 PM
This Saturday (Feb. 8), there's a sensory-friendly event for neurodivergent folks and their families to check out the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History before it opens for the day. I'll be in the Hall of Human Origins to answer questions!

Register in advance here: access.si.edu/program/morn...
Morning at the Museum
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access.si.edu
February 3, 2025 at 3:33 PM
If you're in DC on Thursday, February 20th, stop by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - I'll be on the floor of the museum talking about the historical ecology of white-tailed deer!

naturalhistory.si.edu/events/histo...
The History of White-Tailed Deer Hunting
With the large numbers of deer that wander through our backyards and in front of our cars, you would never know that the species nearly went extinct a century ago. Come learn from historical ecologist...
naturalhistory.si.edu
January 31, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
Awesome opportunity for advanced undergrads or recent grads below! 👇👇👇
I'm hiring two upper-level undergraduates (or recent graduates) this August for a 3 week long PAID Smithsonian internship in Connecticut. We'll be visiting several archaeological collections to measure quahog clam shells!

Please share!

Apply here by March 1:

internships.si.edu/opportunity/...
Marine Historical Ecology and Zooarchaeology Internship
node:field_teaser]
internships.si.edu
January 28, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I'm hiring two upper-level undergraduates (or recent graduates) this August for a 3 week long PAID Smithsonian internship in Connecticut. We'll be visiting several archaeological collections to measure quahog clam shells!

Please share!

Apply here by March 1:

internships.si.edu/opportunity/...
Marine Historical Ecology and Zooarchaeology Internship
node:field_teaser]
internships.si.edu
January 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Shit, did I miss the call for grant applications to advance Marxist equity and GND social engineering?
NEW — OMB temporarily pauses all agency grants and loans programs.

Per copy of memo: "The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve."
January 28, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
I know the Jevons paradox is real bc every time I get a new computer, I open more windows and tabs on my web browser until it gets equally slow.
January 17, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
We've got a fantastic session shaping up! *One more week until the abstract submission deadline!* DM me if you'd like more details! 🏺🧪
📢🚨 SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED: Abstract submission deadline for the Society of Ethnobiology's 2025 meeting has been extended to January 24! DM me if you're interested in the below session and check out more info here: ethnobiology.org/conference/s... #archaeology #zooarchaeology #archaeobotany🏺🧪
January 17, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
An incredible opportunity for the right person:

The Santa Fe Institute is seeking applications for full-time resident faculty positions at all academic levels

For me, this has been the best possible job ever.

More info here: santafe.edu/about/jobs/r...
sfiscience
SFI seeks applications for full-time, 12-month resident faculty positions at all academic levels.
santafe.edu
January 8, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
Major JOB ALERT! I and close colleagues have 4 (!) positions open. So if you're looking for a postdoc or PhD, do read on:
January 3, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
🚨 JOB ALERT!! We're looking for a PhD student to join our group! Are you interested in evolutionary medicine / anthropology? Already have a master's? Apply with your own project ideas! See link: jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancie... #EvMed @bioanth.org @ehbea.bsky.social Please RT!
UZH: PhD position in evolutionary anthropology and medicine
The Human Ecology Group of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine (IEM) Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich, led by Prof. Adrian Jaeggi, is inviting applications from prospe...
jobs.uzh.ch
December 2, 2024 at 1:10 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
Citing a paper from the 1950s that’s only available as a poorly photocopied PDF is the scientific equivalent of only listening to albums on vinyl
December 10, 2024 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Elic Weitzel
“Join a labor union, a social movement, a political party, a tenant union, a community organization, a book club. Literally anything is better than sitting at home and scrolling on your phone and getting mad at the news.”
Many protest movements of the past decade have backfired. What would it take for one to succeed under Trump?
Some features of mass protests in the 2010s also held them back – but years of study have made journalist Vincent Bevins believe solidarity and structure can effect change
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2024 at 5:19 PM