|
|
Over the past several years
my archaeological research has focused on the mining
community of Virginia City, the Sierra Nevadas,
and across the state of Oregon. My work in
Oregon encompasses the survey and testing of archaeological
sites across the state, including the promotion
of preservation and education of urban archaeological
sites in downtown Portland.
Currently, I am working on
the legendary Donner Party project, a collaborative
research effort among archaeologists, human osteologists,
forensic scientists, ground penetrating radar specialists,
and historians. In addition, my research includes
recovery of nuclear human DNA from artifacts. The
successful extraction of DNA from historic-period
artifacts from Virginia City, Nevada has created
a distinction between ancient DNA (aDNA),
recovered from visible prehistoric human, animal,
and plant remains AND historic DNA
obtained from artifacts or inanimate objects not
exhibiting any visible traces of biological evidence.
|
