The Paleoarchaeology Laboratory is in Room 016 of the Anthropology Building (10 Sachem Street, New Haven) at Yale University. It features both comparative osteological specimens as well as fossil collections. In addition to its primary purpose as a zooarchaeological research facility, this lab includes resources for students and researchers to collect data on ancient ornaments, stone tools, and other remains that are commonly found at archaeological sites.
The comparative osteological collection currently features a limited range of mammalian, avian, and reptilian taxa, but it is constantly growing. The comparative taphonomic collection contains a large assemblage of small mammals fed (in a deceased state) under controlled conditions to raptors and Komodo dragons at Zoo Atlanta. Large mammal bones have also been cut-marked and percussion-marked as archaeological references. Because of its affiliation with the Yale Peabody Museum, students and researchers may check out research specimens that will further aid them in their identifications in the lab.
The Paleoarchaeology Laboratory is also the temporary home for fossil collections on loan and under active study.
Current Lab Members
Yue Li – Ph.D. Student
Hannah Keller – Ph.D. Candidate
Alyssa Enny – Ph.D. Candidate
Murphy Tu – Master’s Student
Former Lab Members
Dr. Alex Bertacchi – Ph.D. student (2024, Yale)
Isabel Heslin – Master’s student (2024, Yale)
Teresa Xu – Master’s student (2024, Yale)
Dr. Benjamin Davies – Tony Massini Data Science Postdoctoral Associate (2023, Yale)
Dr. Amanda Leiss – Ph.D. student (2022, Yale University)
Dr. Advait Jukar – George Gaylord Donnelley YIBS Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-2021, Yale)
Dr. Grace Veatch – Ph.D. student (2021, Emory University)
Dr. Kendra Sirak – Ph.D. student (2018, Emory University)
Dr. Emma James – Ph.D. student (2018, the University of Queensland)
My academic phylogeny is here!