Projects
Ruby Archaeological Project
My current project explores the longterm effects of industrial mining in southern Arizona, in particular looking at the Oro Blanco Mining district and the ghost town of Ruby, Arizona. This project uses archaeology, environmental science and oral histories to explore the persistent legacies of mining on the landscape over the past century and the ways through which different communities navigated those legacies.
Mill Creek Historical Archaeology Project
Since 2015 I have studied the industrial history of Mill Creek Ravine, a major coal mining and meatpacking area of Edmonton and one of the first industrial areas in Western Canada. This research provides insight into the role of industrialization in the ecological degradation and devastation of local environments and communities, the intertwined logics of ecological devastation with colonial dispossession and violence, as well as the ongoing social and ecological effects of industrial waste and how it has shaped social relations into the present. I am currently writing a book on this research, entitled The Haunted Creek.
Undocumented Migration Project
Since 2012 I have been a member of the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP). The UMP is a long-term study of clandestine migration between Latin America and the United States through a combination of ethnographic, visual, archaeological, and forensic methods. As a member of UMP I focus on using archaeological methods to research migrant material culture and border security infrastructure.
Ngasobil Historical Archaeology Project
Since 2015 I have worked with Johanna A. Pacyga as a member of the Ngasobil Historical Archaeology Project. This project studies the early history of the community of Ngasobil, the first Catholic mission on Senegal’s coast, that was founded in the 1860s.
Banner photo provided by Nicole Smith