Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley
Bear Bones Lab is a zooarchaeology and community-accountable archaeology research cluster within UC Berkeley's Archaeological Research Facility, conducting collaborative archaeological research with indigenous communities and tribal partners across California, the US Southwest, and northern South Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley does
Bear Bones Lab is a zooarchaeology and community-accountable archaeology research cluster housed within the Archaeological Research Facility (ARF) at the University of California, Berkeley. It conducts archaeological research in close collaboration with indigenous communities and tribal nations across California, the US Southwest, and northern South Africa, with research agendas developed in alignment with tribal priorities. Its work focuses on colonialism, foodways, landscapes, historical archaeology, and preservation, and it serves descendant stakeholders, tribal partners, academic peers, and the broader public through publications and engagement programs.
The lab's core activities span excavation, material culture analysis, GIS mapping, geophysical survey (Ground Penetrating Radar, magnetometry, resistivity), paleoethnobotany, and ethnographic methods, supplemented by digital tools including 3D photogrammetry, an R-Shiny geochemistry visualization app, and interactive historical maps. Operational outputs include the ARF Field School, methodological workshops (GPR, photogrammetry), open-access publications via eScholarship, and projects such as the Book of the Dead in 3D and the Taraco Archaeological Project. The lab is led by Affiliated Faculty Jun Sunseri and operates under ARF Director Kim Shelton, drawing on a small core team and the broader UC Berkeley faculty affiliates.
As a non-profit unit within a public state university, Bear Bones Lab has no commercial revenue model; it is funded through UC Berkeley institutional support and external research grants, with outputs distributed through academic channels, open-access publications, community partnerships, and public engagement events. Its customer segments are defined by stakeholder relationships rather than paying users, with primary engagement directed toward indigenous communities and tribal nations, secondary engagement toward academic and public audiences, and ancillary collaboration with state and federal agencies such as California State Parks and the National Park Service.
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley
- Legal name
- Archaeological Research Facility, UC Berkeley
- Website
- https://arf.berkeley.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bear Bones Lab is a zooarchaeology and community-accountable archaeology research cluster within UC Berkeley's Archaeological Research Facility, conducting collaborative archaeological research with indigenous communities and tribal partners across California, the US Southwest, and northern South Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic Archaeological Research Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)
Keywords
Where Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Funding: Bear Bones Lab operates as part of UC Berkeley's Archaeological Research Facility, funded through university institutional support and research grants.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bear Bones Lab is a Zooarchaeology and Community-Accountable Archaeology research cluster at UC Berkeley that conducts archaeological research in close collaboration with indigenous communities, tribal nations, and descendant stakeholders. The lab's research examines colonialism, foodways, landscapes, and historical archaeology in the western United States and northern South Africa. It delivers field schools, methodological workshops, open-access publications, and digital research tools, and operates through long-term partnerships with tribal nations and government agencies.
Product overview
Bear Bones Lab is part of the Archaeological Research Facility (ARF) at UC Berkeley, a research cluster focused on Zooarchaeology and Community-Accountable Archaeology. ARF operates as an academic research center offering educational programs including field schools and methodological workshops (Ground Penetrating Radar, Photogrammetry), digital research tools (geochemistry visualization app, historical mapping projects), and open-access publications documenting archaeological research since 1965.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bear Bones Lab
Quantifiable outcome
- ARF Field School trained 10 diverse students in 2022, earning Chancellor's Outstanding Staff Award in 2023
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Shingle Springs Band of MiwokcoreCommunity-accountable archaeological partnership involving collaborative research projects aligned with tribal priorities. The partnership includes TEK officers, Tribal Vice Chairwomen, and the Flicker (InterTribal Ecological Restoration) Crew. Research focuses on Ancestral Places and indigenous landscape management.
- Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated TribescoreCollaborative community-accountable archaeology partnership with focus on ancestral places, cultural fire practices, and co-management of UC properties aligned with tribal priorities.
- Amah Mutsun Tribal BandcoreCollaborative research program at Año Nuevo State Park and Pinnacles National Park focused on evaluating archaeological and ecological evidence of indigenous landscape management practices, specifically prescribed burning to enhance biodiversity.
- Kashia Band of Pomo IndianscoreOver two decades of collaborative archaeological research at Fort Ross, California, examining multi-ethnic interactions between Russians, Native Alaskans, and Native Californians. Published 'Metini Village: An Archaeological Study of Sustained Colonialism in Northern California'.
- Federated Indians of Graton RancheriacoreEco-archaeological research at Tolay Lake Regional Park creating baseline of historical and eco-archaeological information to help reconstruct precontact environment and reveal evidence for Indigenous land management including prescribed burning.
- California State ParkscoreCollaborative partner in research at Fort Ross State Historic Park and Año Nuevo State Park, working with tribal nations on indigenous landscape management practices.
- Pala Band of Mission IndiansminorResearch expanded with tribes in Southern California working in Cupeño ancestral lands with the Pala Band of Mission Indians in San Diego County, California.
- Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of AnthropologycoreCollaboration on artifact analysis, 3D modeling of Egyptian coffins (Book of the Dead in 3D project), and repatriation work. Museum houses collections used in ARF research.
- National Park ServicecorePartner in collaborative research program at Pinnacles National Park with Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and California State Parks for indigenous landscape management research.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Crow Canyon Archaeological Center: Non-profit archaeological research and education center in the southwestern US that combines long-running fieldwork with public education and Indigenous collaboration—closely mirroring Bear Bones' blend of community-accountable research and field-school training.
- Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology): University-based archaeology research and collections institution that conducts fieldwork, supports graduate training, and engages in repatriation and community partnerships—a structurally close peer to ARF and its Bear Bones Lab.
- Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection: Harvard-affiliated research institution supporting advanced study in archaeology, among other fields, through residential fellowships and long-term fieldwork initiatives—an academic peer to Bear Bones in structure and scholarly mission.
- Center for American Archeology: Non-profit archaeology research organization operating field schools and long-term excavation programs in the US Midwest and Southwest—comparable in scale, mission, and educational programming to the Bear Bones Lab within ARF.
- Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (Harvard): University-affiliated archaeology and ethnography research museum running global fieldwork, collections research, and Indigenous-engagement initiatives—directly analogous to ARF's role at UC Berkeley.
- School for Advanced Research: Independent research institution supporting advanced scholarship in anthropology and archaeology, including Indigenous studies programs—directly comparable to Bear Bones' role as a scholarly community-accountable archaeology research cluster.
- Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies: University-based archaeology research institute supporting faculty, students, and field projects with methodological training—an analogous academic archaeology research hub to Bear Bones within ARF.
Broad incumbents
- American Museum of Natural History - Division of Anthropology: Large natural history museum with active archaeology and anthropological research, global collections, and educational programming—comparable in the integration of research, museum collaboration, and public engagement.
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Anthropology: Major museum-based archaeology and anthropological research program with extensive collections, repatriation work, and global fieldwork—comparable to Bear Bones/ARF in combining archaeology research, indigenous engagement, and museum collaboration (e.g., the Book of the Dead 3D project with Hearst Museum).
- Field Museum - Anthropology: Major natural history museum with active archaeology research, global collections, and Indigenous collaboration programs—an established institutional peer to ARF in combining museum-based archaeology with community-engaged research.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley social profiles
Digital presenceBear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley
What does Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley do?
Bear Bones Lab is a Zooarchaeology and Community-Accountable Archaeology research cluster at UC Berkeley that conducts archaeological research in close collaboration with indigenous communities, tribal nations, and descendant stakeholders. The lab's research examines colonialism, foodways, landscapes, and historical archaeology in the western United States and northern South Africa. It delivers field schools, methodological workshops, open-access publications, and digital research tools, and operates through long-term partnerships with tribal nations and government agencies.
Is Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley a public or private company?
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley founded?
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley based?
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley make money?
One revenue line is on record: institutional Funding.
Who are Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology), Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Center for American Archeology, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (Harvard), School for Advanced Research and Cornell Institute of Archaeology and Material Studies. Broad incumbents are American Museum of Natural History - Division of Anthropology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Anthropology and Field Museum - Anthropology.
Does Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley.
What industry is Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley in?
Bear Bones Lab, UC Berkeley's product category is Academic Archaeological Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIABAC, Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships), with a secondary code of THAJADAC, Natural History Museums. Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8731.