My motivation to organize Bayesian concepts into a paper originated in 2015 during an evening discussion at Casa Nichols-Watanabe, a cozy home surrounded by the gentle hills of the Connecticut River’s Upper Valley. The second reflects the long distance of her intellectual reach: It was the day she fed me BBQ and inspired the Monico paper on Bayesian statistics for archaeologists. Deb was generous in her advice on grammar, vocabulary, and the science of “pitching” one’s ideas in writing while “hooking” an audience. After learning that I was working on my thesis, she wanted to ensure my access to a scholarly community as a newly minted Granite Stater. The first was the morning she graciously invited me to continue drafting my doctoral dissertation in her lab. The following two examples reflect her legacy as a kind person and a talented intellectual. There are many moments with Deb that I will never forget. Deb made a remarkable impact on the archaeological community and on everyone who knew her. Even when she was ill, her leadership exemplified courage, strength, and a commitment to serving her peers, students, and the greater good. Deb’s tenacity and resolve as the President of the Society for American Archaeology during the Covid-19 pandemic were crucial to its survival and advancement. Deb and her family were so kind to us we will never forget that, and we stayed in touch through the years.
I met Deb when Amanda Veile, my partner, became a visiting faculty in the Department of Anthropology at Dartmouth College and our family moved to New Hampshire. To begin, on behalf of my co-authors, I dedicate this manuscript to Deb Nichols’s memory and to her family. This Bayesian archaeology article was born, as all papers should be, surrounded by intellectual discourse, collegiality, family, friendship, great BBQ, and a poodle. Kelly, and the Dartmouth Coach for inspiring and facilitating the development of some concepts in this paper.” While that statement is accurate, there is more to the story. The acknowledgments section of the Monico Bayesian paper expresses gratitude to “Deb Nichols, John Watanabe, Sophie Nichols-Watanabe, Robert (Bob) L.
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