Previous research projects and collaborations
-Currently I am co-Director and Principal Investigator of P'teah Cambodia (Project Excavating Ancient Households). You can read more at our project website here.
-I am also a research associate on the Greater Angkor Project Phase IV. You can read more about this and past research here.
-I previously worked with the Greater Angkor Project Phase III investigating Angkorian to post-Angkorian habitation in the Angkor region.
In June-July 2015 I was Principal Investigator for "Excavating Archaeology: Household Archaeology at Angkor Wat."
In June-July 2014 I was co-Field Director for excavations within the Ta Prohm temple enclosure. As with previous GAP field seasons, we were looking for evidence of occupation and the history of habitation within the Ta Prohm temple enclosure. A forthcoming publication on this work can be found here.
In June-July 2013 I participated in excavations at Angkor Wat looking for evidence of occupation within the broader Angkor Wat enclosure. This work has been published here.
In February-March 2012, I and my Cambodian colleagues undertook excavations at the site of Kok Phnov, a mound site located near Srah Srang. Although we were looking primarily for evidence for Angkorian and post-Angkorian occupation, we also found evidence for a kiln site. The Kok Phnov kiln is the first Angkorian period ceramics kiln found in the heart of the urban area of Angkor.
As an associate investigator with the The Paddy to Pura project I have examined stone and glass beads from the Iron Age sites of Phum Sophy and Lovea. The stone and glass beads from these sites share similarities to other Iron Age sites excavated in Cambodia, especially in the northwest Cambodia. However, one burial from Phum Sophy contained a large number (over 200) of carnelian beads and a second contained a unique agate pendant (pictured).
I also undertook LA-ICP-MS analysis of the agate/carnelian and glass beads from Phum Sophy and the circular earthwork site of Lovea. As part of this project, I will contextualize the bead collections from each of these sites within the broader dataset of Iron Age sites in Cambodia and mainland Southeast Asia. Using data from the stone and glass beads, I aim to determine how people at each of these sites were interacting with one another and participating in inter- and intra-regional trade networks. Furthermore, by examining the (primarily mortuary) contexts in which beads were found, I hope to identify some socio-political/ideological patterns in who was wearing and using beads.
In January 2013 I participated in the Living in the Shadow of Angkor Project, examining glass beads from the "70 Jar" jar burial site in the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia.As part of this project I am analyzing glass beads from 15-17th century AD jar burials. These burials appear to belong to an upland community and the glass beads were likely obtained during interactions with lowland peoples. It is notable that these burials date to the period of the decline of the Angkorian empire and movement of the capital from Angkorian region to the area near Phnom Penh. Compositional analysis of the glass beads will help us identify the trade networks in which people from this community were participating.
I have also examined glass beads from an Angkorian stone and bronze sculpture workshop (Dr. Martin Polkinghorne, P.I.). It is unclear what the beads were used for, but they represent some of the trade contacts elite people may have had during the Angkorian period. This work was recently published here.
In 2012 I undertook a small study of stone and glass beads from Iron Age contexts in Sepon Valley, Laos. The beads were excavated as part of ongoing archaeological investigations by Dr. Nigel Chang and his team. The stone beads are likely made from chalcedony and I believe are part of a larger tradition of local Southeast Asian bead production. I hope to undertake additional studies on the production of green stone beads in Southeast Asia in the future.
In the past I have also participated in several field seasons of excavation at the site of Ban Non Wat with both Dr. Charles Higham and Dr. Nigel Chang. In 2010 I was part of a team that excavated this Iron Age dog burial (above).
In 2005 and 2009 I was a field crew member with the Lower Mekong Archaeological Project (pictured here with Heng Piphal (PhD Candidate at UHawaii). These field surveys aimed to identify occupation areas and reconstruct the settlement history of the area around the early urban center of Angkor Borei.
