Bioarchaeology Lab

The Bioarchaeology Lab at GSU is directed by Dr. Bethany Turner-Livermore, and hosts several types of research on archaeological human remains. Its primary research program centers on multi-isotopic analysis of human and faunal tissues including bone, tooth enamel and dentin, hair, and skin, to reconstruct diet and residential mobility in individuals from Andean South America, the Southeastern North America, and elsewhere.

Other areas of research in the Bioarch Lab include microscopic analyses of surface wear and internal microstructures in human teeth, and osteological analysis for studying oral and skeletal paleopathology. In 2014, the lab will also pursue GSU safety certification for enzyme-linked and radioimmunoassays of archaeological hair. This new area of research will reconstruct patterns of systemic stress in archaeological human remains and link these stress measures to osteological, dental, and isotopic variables in order to gain a fuller understanding of behavior and health in ancient cultures.