Emily is a Senior Archaeologist and Geoarchaeologist at Far Western’s main office in Davis, California. She joined Far Western as an Archaeological Technician in 2016 but has been working as an archaeologist since 2014. She has significant experience on the California Central Coast, Northern Channel Islands, the Eastern Sierra, and Nevada’s high desert.
Emily graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology from University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016 and completed an undergraduate thesis on a potential feasting site in the interior of Santa Cruz Island. In 2023, Emily completed her Masters in Cultural and Heritage Resource Management at University of Maryland, College Park. Her research focused on the landscape evolution of a significant precontact site in Morro Bay, California.
Emily has contributed to numerous projects for Far Western as both a crew member and crew chief including survey, data recovery, geoarchaeological studies, and construction monitoring. Additionally, she has participated in several research projects in collaboration with Cabrillo Community College, the National Parks Service, CSU Channel Islands, Santa Clara University, and University of California, Santa Barbara.
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Publications and Presentations:
Bales, Emily M.
2023
The Effect of Landscape Evolution on the Visibility of the Archaeological Record: a Case Study from Deeply Buried Site CA-SLO-16, Morro Bay, California. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. University of Maryland, College Park.
Wiggins, Kaya, and Emily M. Bales
2022
PCNs and Pit and Groove Rock Art Traditions in the North Coast of San Luis Obispo County. Society for California Archaeology, Annual Meeting, Visalia, Ca.
King, J., B. Wall, E.M. Bales, and C. Caywood
2022
Archaeological Site Assessments and Survey for the Phase 1 North Infrastructure Reliability Improvements Project, Owens Lake, Inyo County, California. (Report). Far Western Anthropological Research Group. Submitted to LADWP.
Caywood, C., S. Saffold, and E.M. Bales
2022
Applied Archaeological Methods of 3D Technologies. Society for California Archaeology, Annual Meeting, Visalia, California.
Bales, E. M., Linda Hylkema, Sarah Peelo, and Judith Habicht-Mauche
2017
Impacts to Archaeological Resources and Conservation Practices in Cultural Resource Management: Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California. Paper presented at the Society for California Archaeology Annual Meeting, Fish Camp, California.
Bales, E. M., J. E. Perry, and T. L. Joslin
2016
The Significance of CA-SCRI-801 in Santa Cruz Island’s Interior. Paper presented at the Society for California Archaeology Annual Meeting, Ontario, California.
Bales, E. M.
2015
Understanding Chumash Settlements in Santa Cruz Island’s Interior” Family and Parent Weekend, University of California, Santa Barbara.
McKenzie, D., E. M. Bales, K. R. Colligan, and V. Navarrete
2015
Small Sites with Big Potential: Survey Results from the Cabrillo College Field School. Paper presented at the Society for California Archaeology Annual Meeting, Redding, California.
Awards and Grants:
2016 Distinction in the Anthropology Major—University of California, Santa Barbara
2016 Award for Research Promise—University of California, Santa Barbara
2016 Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement by a Transfer Student—University of California, Santa Barbara
2016 Undergraduate Conference Mini-Grant
2015 Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Grant
2014 Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Grant