B

ioarchaeology is my field of interest, particularly the study of stress, disease, diet, trauma, and the effects of increasing socioeconomic complexity and social inequalities on the health of various members of ancient human populations, as seen in their skeletal remains. My primary research interest is the dynamic health consequences of interregional interactions between nomadic pastoral and agricultural societies in East Asia. I have studied burial collections from Northern China and the Inner Asian (Eurasian) steppe, including research conducted in China and Mongolia. The collections I have examined include Neolithic to Yuan Dynasty (Mongol Empire) samples from Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria (Dongbei), and Mongolia, as well as Warring States burials from the China's Yellow River Valley. More recently I have examined remains from the Upper Mustang region of Nepal to investigate issues of settlement, migration, health, and mortuary tradition. In addition, I have analyzed burial populations from the US (California, Michigan, Washington), and internationally in Iceland and Romania. These samples have included collections from hunters and gatherers, proto-historic individuals, Viking Age settlers, and post-Medieval peasants, as well as modern day forensic cases.