I am an interdisciplinary archaeozoologist with a background in the analysis of faunal remains from coastal and submerged archaeological sites using a variety of methods. In addition to traditional comparative species identification and taphonomic analysis, I employ linear biometric and geometric morphometric methods to explore intraspecies phenotypic variation through time and space. I synthesize this data with complementary information from related disciplines such as paleoecology, behavioral ecology, climate and environmental sciences, geography and history to further understanding of human-animal-environment interactions in the past. I endeavor to use this new knowledge to help solve society’s most pressing problems today and in the future.
My regional specializations include the Eastern Mediterranean and the Pacific Northwest’s Salish Sea and Columbia Plateau in North America. My work in the Levant has explored themes of maritime connectivity, material culture exchange, biogeography, animal mobility, and maritime ecology from the Iron Age through Late Antiquity and the Early Islamic Period via studying sheep, ship rats, and salted fish. My doctoral research involved analyzing faunal remains from several coastal tell settlements and the shipwreck Ma'agan Mikhael B . My work in this region continues with a study analysing the movements of ship rats around the eastern Mediterranean in Late Antiquity using geometric morphometric and paleogenetic analyses. The results of this work may further inform upon maritime connectivity during the tumultuous transition to Islamic rule in the region.
My research interests in the Pacific Northwest are focused on increasing understanding of the influence that terminal Pleistocene/early Holocene climate change had on human and animal communities and ecological conditions. The region experienced dramatic post-glacial warming in the early Holocene, and further oscillations through the mid Holocene, yet little is known about how these climatic conditions affected the diverse species which are now currently under threat from anthropogenic global warming. Essentially, the early–mid Holocene Pacific Northwest acts as a natural laboratory through which we can learn critical lessons about how plants and animals adapted to rapid climate change and directly apply this knowledge to our current climate challenges. Reanalyzing legacy collections of faunal remains from paleontological and archaeological assemblages with updated technology and techniques could yield revelatory data. This research has the potential to improve outcomes in conservation biology and environmental restoration initiatives, as well as increase our understanding of how humans and animals adapted and survived dramatic climate-driven challenges in the past.
My current methods-driven project is focused on developing a new technique for identifying the species of osteological materials using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology. I have partnered with Spectra Insight and together we are leveraging their advanced spectral device and Spectra Insight Software to conduct hypothesis testing experiments to detect inter- and intra-species variations in spectral data. Ultimately, we envision creating a database of animal species spectral profiles to facilitate the identification of nondiagnostic faunal remains from archaeological sites and founding a dedicated archaeo-HSI laboratory to further this research.
My regional specializations include the Eastern Mediterranean and the Pacific Northwest’s Salish Sea and Columbia Plateau in North America. My work in the Levant has explored themes of maritime connectivity, material culture exchange, biogeography, animal mobility, and maritime ecology from the Iron Age through Late Antiquity and the Early Islamic Period via studying sheep, ship rats, and salted fish. My doctoral research involved analyzing faunal remains from several coastal tell settlements and the shipwreck Ma'agan Mikhael B . My work in this region continues with a study analysing the movements of ship rats around the eastern Mediterranean in Late Antiquity using geometric morphometric and paleogenetic analyses. The results of this work may further inform upon maritime connectivity during the tumultuous transition to Islamic rule in the region.
My research interests in the Pacific Northwest are focused on increasing understanding of the influence that terminal Pleistocene/early Holocene climate change had on human and animal communities and ecological conditions. The region experienced dramatic post-glacial warming in the early Holocene, and further oscillations through the mid Holocene, yet little is known about how these climatic conditions affected the diverse species which are now currently under threat from anthropogenic global warming. Essentially, the early–mid Holocene Pacific Northwest acts as a natural laboratory through which we can learn critical lessons about how plants and animals adapted to rapid climate change and directly apply this knowledge to our current climate challenges. Reanalyzing legacy collections of faunal remains from paleontological and archaeological assemblages with updated technology and techniques could yield revelatory data. This research has the potential to improve outcomes in conservation biology and environmental restoration initiatives, as well as increase our understanding of how humans and animals adapted and survived dramatic climate-driven challenges in the past.
My current methods-driven project is focused on developing a new technique for identifying the species of osteological materials using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology. I have partnered with Spectra Insight and together we are leveraging their advanced spectral device and Spectra Insight Software to conduct hypothesis testing experiments to detect inter- and intra-species variations in spectral data. Ultimately, we envision creating a database of animal species spectral profiles to facilitate the identification of nondiagnostic faunal remains from archaeological sites and founding a dedicated archaeo-HSI laboratory to further this research.