Biography

My academic background is interdisciplinary, centred on the use of scientific approaches to understand the daily lives of our predecessors.

In 2018 I completed my Bachelor of Science (Anatomy/Histology and Geography) and Bachelor of Arts (Archaeology) (First Class Hons) at the University of Sydney. My honours thesis explored the utility of macroscopic taphonomic and osteological methods in understanding the intentionality or incidentally of funerary practices in tombs from Early Bronze Age Jericho, and in particular the possibility of cremation. During this time I also worked in the commercial archaeology sector in Sydney.

After completing my degrees I worked in collections management and conservation in Scotland, before joining the TEMPERA training network as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow. In my role as an Early Stage Research Assistant under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Hendy I received training in palaeoproteomics. My research concerned the application of proteomic methods to ceramics and their residues to investigate ancient foodways and the impact of cooking practice and depositional environment on the survival of ancient proteins.

I am currently continuing to develop this research as a PhD at the University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Hendy (external), Tamsin O'Connell, Martin Millet and Matthew Collins, and supported by the Cambridge Trust.

Research

Food is the most tangible part of our lives yet the most intangible in the archaeological record. It tells us about more than just what people ate; but also about trade, technology and cultural identity. Palaeoproteomics provides a powerful tool for investigating past diets and culinary practices and is increasingly used to provide animal and tissue-specific dietary information. My PhD project is composed of two core facets. First, an experimental approach is used to identify the variability of protein preservation based on ingredients, ceramic matrix, food preparation practice and deposition. Secondly, informed by these results, a large case study of proteomic data extracted from ceramics, their residues and human dental calculus is undertaken to gain a high-resolution understanding of diet and food preparation practice in Roman Britain.

Contact

Contact: miranda@palaeome.org