I often work with other archaeologists to apply earth science methods and techniques to particular research problems involving human behavior. For example, I used soil micromorphology and soil chemistry to describe stratified sediments and soils from the fill of a plaza kiva at the Fourmile Ruin with SMU alumnus, Scott Van Keuren (see Van Keuren and Roos 2013).

I have also worked with archaeologists to map the distribution of particular human behaviors in domestic and extramural contexts. For example, using soil P analysis, I mapped the distribution of midden deposits that allowed Kevin Nolan and I to infer properties of village organization and layout at a late prehistoric settlement in central Ohio (see Roos and Nolan 2012). I have ongoing collaborations with Kacy Hollenback and Andrew Quicksall to use multi-element soil chemistry to map activity patterns within domestic structures on the northern Great Plains. Publication of this research is forthcoming.

As with my pyrogeographic work, interested students or colleagues are encouraged to contact me directly about developing new behavioral geoarchaeology projects.