I am an archaeobotanistcurrently undertaking research as a postdoctoral fellow at the Evolutionary Studies Institute (ESI) of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. My research expertise unites paleobotany (through the study of a palaeobotanical discipline, phytoliths) and palaeoanthropology (archaeology) to explore the interaction between human behaviors and past environments throughout the Quaternary. I study archaeological deposits using phytoliths and FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) to answer questions related to human behavior (i.e. plant foraging strategies and people’s use of plants) and pyro technology (plant-fuels and hearth functioning), and its coupled response to climate and environmental changes.
Research Discipline(s)
Brief Biography (English)