I am a paleoanthropologist studying behavioral diversity in the Middle Paleolithic (MP) and Upper Paleolithic (UP) of Europe and Asia. My research focuses on the specialized use of bone by Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans, in particular how bone is used as fuel during glacial and interglacial periods.
In addition to my work on archaeological burnt bone in MP and UP combustion features , I also am involved with various archaeometric analyses to describe and record bone crystallinity. These experimental projects aim to address both bone diagenesis and the thermal properties of bone so that we may better understand how bone was used in the past.  I am excited to better understand Neanderthal variability in fire behavior, and to compare and contrast the creation, maintenance, and production of Neanderthal fire to the fire use of anatomically modern humans who shared the same landscape.