The Environmental Archaeology Lab at SMU provides the field and laboratory support for pyrogeographic and geoarchaeological research by me and my students. I often have 1-2 undergraduates working in the lab on various research projects, as well as graduate students who may be working as research assistants for me or working on their own materials.

The lab has capabilities for basic geoarchaeological analysis (grain size analysis, pH, loss-on-ignition) as well as geochemical (soil P) and magnetic prospecting (magnetic susceptibility). We do both physical and chemical measurements of soil charcoal content and prepare our own charcoal and soil samples for radiocarbon (AMS), stable carbon isotope (IRMS), and multi-elemental (ICP-MS) chemical measurements elsewhere at SMU or in collaborating facilities. Episodically, we impregnate soil samples for making thin sections, which can be analyzed on a suite of polarizing stereozoom and petrographic microscopes.

If you have any questions about the lab, our ongoing research, or avenues for future research, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.