Department of Anthropology

My research focuses on the study of native copper production and value in the Northern Lake Superior Basin during the Nipissing high paleo-lake level event (4,000-6,000 years ago). I am interested in how the technological organization of metallurgical systems can express the meaning and value that people place on metallurgical materials. I am also interested in the development and spread of pre-modern industries, and the effect these industries had on the people who adopted and developed them. I have conducted field work on various islands and coast lines throughout the Great Lakes-- including Beaver Island, Isle Royale, and the north and south shores of Lake Superior. My theoretical and research interests include: Archaeometallurgy, Technology, Materiality, Network Analysis, GIS, Industrial Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, and Island Archaeology.