Gilbert Tostevin, Rotating Director of AMAAZE, is a Paleolithic archaeologist who uses the quantitative study of stone tools, including the three-dimensional analysis and modeling of core reduction sequences, to learn about prehistoric hominin behavior. He received his Ph.D in Anthropology from Harvard University in 2000. Dr. Tostevin is interested in the exploration and testing of new analytical techniques for understanding stone tool variability through the analysis of 3D models of experimental flakes and their application to 3D collections of archaeological artifacts. He also uses 3D animation accompanied by 3D printing of refittable core reduction sequences to improve the teaching of prehistoric and historic lithic technologies to K-12 as well as university students.
From 2002 – 2018, Dr. Tostevin collaborated with colleagues Dr. Petr Škrdla (Institute of Archaeology, Brno, Czech Republic) and Dr. Daniel Richter (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig) in the investigation of a number of Early Upper Paleolithic sites in Moravia, Czech Republic. These sites included Brno-Bohunice in 2002 (funded by the Leakey Foundation and U of M Grant-in-Aid) and Tvarožná X (funded by the U of M Grant-in-Aid in 2008 and the NSF BCS-Archaeology Program from 2014-2017 with co-PI Gilliane Monnier). Since 2016, Dr. Tostevin has directed a multidisciplinary research project investigating Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal behavioral adaptations at Crvena Stijena Rock Shelter, Montenegro, through funding from the U of M Grant-in-Aid and the NSF BCS-Archaeology Program, with co-PI Gilliane Monnier).