Heather Walder is a third-year Anthropology Ph.D. student in the archaeology section at UW-Madison. Her research interests include South Asian archaeology; experimental archaeology and technology studies; state and empire theory; and the origin, development, and spread of writing in the ancient world. Her dissertation research examines the archaeology and material culture of the Early Historic period in South Asia, particularly the expansion of the Mauryan Empire under the ruler Ashoka, c.272-232 B.C. During this time, the first deciphered writing in South Asia, known as the Brahmi script, appears carved on rock faces and pillars throughout the subcontinent. These inscriptions and the archaeological remains found close to them are of special interest, as they provide detailed information about community organization during this period. Heather has replicated a stone-carved Ashokan edict using traditional tools and technology in order to better understand ancient inscription carving technology, and this edict can be seen at the outdoor Experimental Archaeology Laboratory on the UW-Madison campus. During the summer of 2009, she studied Urdu at the American Institute for Indian Studies program in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Heather earned her BA in Anthropology, Classical Languages, and English Literature from Marquette University in 2007 and has recently received her MA in Anthropology (Archaeology) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2009).