Sullivan is an archaeologist and archaeobotanist researching the agricultural systems and environmental adaptations of Early and Middle Bronze Age settlements in Central Anatolia. His previous research has focused on prehistoric agropastoralism and crop diffusion in Central Asia.
Research Interests
Archaeobotany, environmental archaeology, prehistory, cultural heritage
Education
2024 – Ongoing, PhD Student, Thesis: Settlement resilience and adaptation through the climatic, economic, and political changes of the Central Anatolian Bronze Age.
2021, Honours Class 1 (Archaeology), Thesis: Fodder, Forage, and Food: Investigating Diverse Agropastoralism at Late Bronze Age Luanzagangzi, Xinjiang.
2017 – 2020, Bachelor of Arts (Extended Major in Archaeology), University of Queensland
Professional Experiences
2022 – Ongoing, Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology, Kırşehir Province, Türkiye. Archaeobotanical field coordinator and advisor for Kaman – Kalehöyük, Yassıhöyük, and Büklükale excavations.
2021 – Ongoing, consulting archaeologist with experience in tropical, arid zone, coastal, and urban archaeology. Numerous unpublished technical reports.
2020, Madjebebe Research Project, University of Queensland. Research assistant.
2018 – 2019, Boncuklu Höyük Archaeological Project, Konya Province, Türkiye. General excavator.
Publications
Heywood, S., Spate, M., Betts, A., Jia, P., & Fairbairn, A. (2023). Late Bronze Age agriculture and the early westward transmission of rice at Luanzagangzi, Northern Xinjiang, China. The Holocene, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/09596836231211827.
Presentations
2022 - International Workgroup for Paleoethnobotany (IWGP), České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Investigating Diverse Agropastoralism at Late Bronze Age Luanzagangzi, Xinjiang. Agricultural Expansion and Diversification session. Presented by Dr. Michael Spate due to COVID 19 restrictions.