My research interests include zooarchaeology in southern Central America, specifically in the Greater Nicoya area, where I focus on diet, subsistence, migration, and identity. I am currenty a PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago where my current research encompasses the domestication and management of ancient turkeys using osteometric, stable isotope, and ancient DNA analyses. I completed my undergraduate studies in Anthropology in 2010 at the University of Costa Rica. After receiving a Scholarship from the Institute for Social Science Investigations I also completed my Masters in Anthropology with emphasis in Archaeology in 2014 at the same University. Subsequently, I worked as an instructor of record at the Anthropology department at the University of Costa Rica for 2 years. I completed a summer internship at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in 2019, where I worked with archaeofaunal collections. I have volunteered at the Costa Rican National Museum, the Carlos Aguilar Archaeology Laboratory, and the Field Museum in Chicago. I also participated in the Summer program at Lubbock Lake Landmark. I have worked as project manager on several environmental conservation projects with the surrounding communities of the Ribera wetlands in Heredia, Costa Rica. I also received the National Gold Cube award from the Costa Rican Architects Association for my participation in a community service project investigating the relationship between at-risk populations and their environment. Supervisors: Dr. Sloan Williams
The major goal of this investigation is the recreation of the biocultural relationship between hu... more The major goal of this investigation is the recreation of the biocultural relationship between humans and animals from the La Cascabel (G112-LC) archaeological site at Bahía Culebra, Guanacaste. This research uses a zooarchaeological method, primarily quantitative, with an interpretive archaeological approach. The archaeological vertebrate faunal collection was analyzed and classified, analyzing the dynamics among vertebrate faunal remains present at the different site contexts that have been identified. In order to present a clear identification of the faunal remains, this investigation contributes with the creation of an osteological reference collection. The results of this study show that mass capture techniques for fish and mammals were being used by the local people, that banquets with anthropophagy were possibly being held, as well as the existence of social differences among individuals identified in at least four different social groups. Although the techniques used and the remains analyzed did not yield interpretations as complete as expected, this investigation points out the high potential value of fauna analysis for interpreting archaeological contexts.
Society for American Archaeology 85th Annual Meeting (Cancelled), 2020
Excavations in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, especially around the Culebra bay area, have yielded a gre... more Excavations in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, especially around the Culebra bay area, have yielded a great amount of well-preserved faunal materials and yet few archaeofaunal studies have been carried out. The lack of trained specialists and comparative collections available has been previously addressed by other researchers working in lower Central America. To try and close this gap, I will present the preliminary results of a faunal analysis carried out between June and August 2019 with vertebrate material recovered in the 1970s by excavation teams under Frederick Lange's direction. These materials were analyzed by referring to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's comparative collection in Panama City, allowing for taxonomic and ecological assignations as well as descriptions of butchery and non-dietary usage, i.e., for fashioning multiple ornaments and tools. The presence of at least one species of turkey (Meleagris sp) enhances knowledge about trade routes and human migration in a multi-cultural region at the crossroads of population movements from as far north as Mesoamerica. The presentation of these results seeks to expand the knowledge of archaeology in general from lower Central America and the potential for future research projects, where ancient DNA and multi-elements stable isotope analyses could complement the visual morphometric analyses.
Exploring pre-Columbian turkey remains (Meleagris cf gallopavo) in the Gran Nicoya area, Costa Rica, 2019
Several lines of archaeological evidence support the migration of Oto-Manguean populations presum... more Several lines of archaeological evidence support the migration of Oto-Manguean populations presumably from central Mexico to Nicaragua and Costa Rica around 800 CE. However, the nature and magnitude of this migration or migrations is still not clear. Recent research regarding faunal remains from the Culebra bay area in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, have identified the presence of at least one turkey species (Meleagris cf gallopavo), a bird not native to lower Central America. Along with other changes in cultural practices, the significance of the introduction of turkey will be discussed, highlighting the importance of further faunal studies in Mesoamerica’s southern border.
Societies in East Asia have utilized domesticated cattle for over 5000 years, but the genetic his... more Societies in East Asia have utilized domesticated cattle for over 5000 years, but the genetic history of cattle in East Asia remains understudied. Genome-wide analyses of 23 ancient Mongolian cattle reveal that East Asian aurochs and ancient East Asian taurine cattle are closely related, but neither are closely related to any modern East Asian breeds. We observe binary variation in aurochs diet throughout the early Neolithic, and genomic evidence shows millennia of sustained male-dominated introgression. We identify a unique connection between ancient Mongolian aurochs and the European Hereford breed. These results point to the likelihood of human management of aurochs in Northeast Asia prior to and during the initial adoption of taurine cattle pastoralism.One-Sentence SummaryAncient interbreeding of East Asian aurochs and cattle suggests management, but leaves no signature in modern eastern breeds.
Este artículo presenta parte de un proyecto de investigación más grande y algunos de los resultad... more Este artículo presenta parte de un proyecto de investigación más grande y algunos de los resultados preliminares. El tema de la investigación es el papel que tuvo la fauna utilizada por los antiguos pobladores del sitio La Cascabel (G-112LC), ubicado en Bahía Culebra en la península de Nicoya. Este sitio, cuya temporalidad es de aproximadamente 800-1550 d.C. corresponde a un sitio con múltiples contextos, incluyendo un contexto habitacional, funerario y los denominados basureros (Aguilar, 2011). Se utilizará una metodología zooarqueológica principalmente cuantitativa pero con un fundamento teórico posicionado en la arqueología interpretativa. Se analizará y clasificará una muestra de la colección de fauna vertebrada y se buscará analizar las relaciones entre la fauna vertebrada presentes en los diferentes contextos identificados dentro del sitio.
The major goal of this investigation is the recreation of the biocultural relationship between hu... more The major goal of this investigation is the recreation of the biocultural relationship between humans and animals from the La Cascabel (G112-LC) archaeological site at Bahía Culebra, Guanacaste. This research uses a zooarchaeological method, primarily quantitative, with an interpretive archaeological approach. The archaeological vertebrate faunal collection was analyzed and classified, analyzing the dynamics among vertebrate faunal remains present at the different site contexts that have been identified. In order to present a clear identification of the faunal remains, this investigation contributes with the creation of an osteological reference collection. The results of this study show that mass capture techniques for fish and mammals were being used by the local people, that banquets with anthropophagy were possibly being held, as well as the existence of social differences among individuals identified in at least four different social groups. Although the techniques used and the remains analyzed did not yield interpretations as complete as expected, this investigation points out the high potential value of fauna analysis for interpreting archaeological contexts.
Society for American Archaeology 85th Annual Meeting (Cancelled), 2020
Excavations in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, especially around the Culebra bay area, have yielded a gre... more Excavations in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, especially around the Culebra bay area, have yielded a great amount of well-preserved faunal materials and yet few archaeofaunal studies have been carried out. The lack of trained specialists and comparative collections available has been previously addressed by other researchers working in lower Central America. To try and close this gap, I will present the preliminary results of a faunal analysis carried out between June and August 2019 with vertebrate material recovered in the 1970s by excavation teams under Frederick Lange's direction. These materials were analyzed by referring to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's comparative collection in Panama City, allowing for taxonomic and ecological assignations as well as descriptions of butchery and non-dietary usage, i.e., for fashioning multiple ornaments and tools. The presence of at least one species of turkey (Meleagris sp) enhances knowledge about trade routes and human migration in a multi-cultural region at the crossroads of population movements from as far north as Mesoamerica. The presentation of these results seeks to expand the knowledge of archaeology in general from lower Central America and the potential for future research projects, where ancient DNA and multi-elements stable isotope analyses could complement the visual morphometric analyses.
Exploring pre-Columbian turkey remains (Meleagris cf gallopavo) in the Gran Nicoya area, Costa Rica, 2019
Several lines of archaeological evidence support the migration of Oto-Manguean populations presum... more Several lines of archaeological evidence support the migration of Oto-Manguean populations presumably from central Mexico to Nicaragua and Costa Rica around 800 CE. However, the nature and magnitude of this migration or migrations is still not clear. Recent research regarding faunal remains from the Culebra bay area in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, have identified the presence of at least one turkey species (Meleagris cf gallopavo), a bird not native to lower Central America. Along with other changes in cultural practices, the significance of the introduction of turkey will be discussed, highlighting the importance of further faunal studies in Mesoamerica’s southern border.
Societies in East Asia have utilized domesticated cattle for over 5000 years, but the genetic his... more Societies in East Asia have utilized domesticated cattle for over 5000 years, but the genetic history of cattle in East Asia remains understudied. Genome-wide analyses of 23 ancient Mongolian cattle reveal that East Asian aurochs and ancient East Asian taurine cattle are closely related, but neither are closely related to any modern East Asian breeds. We observe binary variation in aurochs diet throughout the early Neolithic, and genomic evidence shows millennia of sustained male-dominated introgression. We identify a unique connection between ancient Mongolian aurochs and the European Hereford breed. These results point to the likelihood of human management of aurochs in Northeast Asia prior to and during the initial adoption of taurine cattle pastoralism.One-Sentence SummaryAncient interbreeding of East Asian aurochs and cattle suggests management, but leaves no signature in modern eastern breeds.
Este artículo presenta parte de un proyecto de investigación más grande y algunos de los resultad... more Este artículo presenta parte de un proyecto de investigación más grande y algunos de los resultados preliminares. El tema de la investigación es el papel que tuvo la fauna utilizada por los antiguos pobladores del sitio La Cascabel (G-112LC), ubicado en Bahía Culebra en la península de Nicoya. Este sitio, cuya temporalidad es de aproximadamente 800-1550 d.C. corresponde a un sitio con múltiples contextos, incluyendo un contexto habitacional, funerario y los denominados basureros (Aguilar, 2011). Se utilizará una metodología zooarqueológica principalmente cuantitativa pero con un fundamento teórico posicionado en la arqueología interpretativa. Se analizará y clasificará una muestra de la colección de fauna vertebrada y se buscará analizar las relaciones entre la fauna vertebrada presentes en los diferentes contextos identificados dentro del sitio.
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