Meet the New Graduate Students Timilehin Ayelagbe
Timilehin in 2022 at the Iba Rockshelter in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria, West Africa. The site has not been dated, but early evidence points to the Late Stone Age.
Timilehin Ayelagbe received his bachelor’s degree in marine science and technology at the Federal University of Technology Akure in Nigeria. While there, he studied the impact of shipping operations on trace metals in the ocean. He then received his master’s degree in archaeology from the University of Ibadan. For his thesis, he used palynological data to study the impact of climate change on human occupations at Okomu National Park in Nigeria. After receiving his degrees, he began working at the Museum of West African Art, where he conducted paleoenvironmental and archaeological research. He was
very interested in the implications of climate change on human occupations of coastal landscapes in Nigeria, so he decided to pursue a PhD in archaeology. He applied to UMMAA because he is eager to lead his own research project, and he was also really excited about the prospect of an interdisciplinary and collaborative project, which he can see himself bringing to fruition here at UMMAA. Here at the University of Michigan, he is excited to learn more about archaeological work with isotopes and heavy metals. Please join us in welcoming Timilehin Ayelagbe to our program! www.lsa.umich.edu/ummaa • Fall 2023 • page 15
