Research
Several ongoing research projects highlight my interest in the archaeology of community, the use of digital methods in archaeology, and the archaeology of childhood. Explore these projects below to learn more.
University of Denver Amache Project
My research is at Amache, a WWII Japanese American Incarceration Center has been guided by issues of cultural heritage and ethics to ensure that research supports site preservation and the interests of diverse stakeholder communities. I use GIS, survey and excavation data, and social network data generated from archival documents to explore patterns in the built environment created by site residents as a way of reconstructing spheres of interaction and understanding the development of social cohesion and community identity. My dissertation, The Archaeology of Social Ties and Community Formation in a WWII Japanese American Incarceration Center, compares the physical and social structure of multiple neighborhoods to describe how new communities were formed among a displaced population. This project has applications for contemporary urban planning while also contributing to the body of archaeological research on neighborhood identities.
Currently, I am serving as the Co-Director of the project. Working with Dr. Bonnie Clark, we hold a biennial field school in archaeology and museum studies. The field school is part of the Institute for Field Research and trains students in a range of field methods along with museum and public interpretation. In addition to learning traditional excavation and survey, field school participants address the complicated history of racism and prejudice presented by the site’s history.
Digital Data Collection
Our field data are collected using a series of digital tools that include an OCHRE database and ArcGIS QuickCapture and FieldMaps. Students are trained in the use of digital methods in archaeology and these tools allow us to effectively conduct spacial analyses and share data with community members.
Community Oriented
Amache is a site of living memory. Community participation and input have been key components since the project started in 2008. Each year more members of the stakeholder community visit or participate in the field school. As a researcher I work to give back to this community through talks, participation in community organizations, and personalized help with family research.
Children in the Historic Urban Landscape
This is a new project that has recently received funding from a American Philosophical Society Franklin Grant. I am planning on conducting a comparative analysis of patterns in children;s objects in historic urban settings. This research builds off of my masters research and will involve a comparative analysis of existing collections held in several repositories. Collections selected were excavated from urban context with a mixed ethnic and socioeconomic background.