Current Research
Current Research
Current research projects
Developing Archaeological Outreach at Lower Mainland Museums (funded by a SFU/SSHRC Small Explore Research Grant)
A Custom Database Design for Cultural Heritage in 3D (funded by a SFU Faculty of Environment Spark Grant)
Study of 3D models of First Nation, Inuit, and Métis tangible heritage
Study of Mexican antiquities in Canadian museum collections
Student supervision
In Fall 2026 I will be supervising a directed readings course for an MA student from the School of Interactive Arts and Technology, who will be exploring the creation of an Augmented Reality Application for the Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology.
I will also be supervising two MA students in the Department of Archaeology, both of whom will be exploring ways to connect museum collections with different communities.
Publications & Media
Articles
A Co-Created Approach for Community Heritage: A Case Study of Archaeological Engagement in Belize. Journal of Archaeology and Education 10(1). (2026, written with Hannah Herrick and Alec McLellan)
Are Archaeologists Talking About Looting? Reviewing Archaeological and Anthropological Conference Proceedings from 1899-2019. International Journal of Cultural Property 30(4):361-378. (2023, written with Naomi Oosterman)
The Lives Behind the Mesoamerican Archaeology Collection at the Museum of Vancouver. Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals 17(4): 430-454. (2021)
Translucent Textiles of the Ancient Maya: Insights from a Museum Collection. Dress: The Journal of the Costume Society of America 46(2): 103-113. (2020)
Fifty Years of Collecting: The Sale of Ancient Maya Antiquities at Sotheby’s. International Journal of Cultural Property 24(2): 187-219. (2017)
Birds of a Feather: Exploring the Acquisition of Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) Tail Coverts in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Human Ecology 44(4): 399-408. (2016)
Pre-Columbian “Jade”: Towards an Improved Identification of Green-Colored Stone in Mesoamerica. Lithic Technology 39(3): 137-150. (2014)
Book Chapters
Stealing Heritage in Canada. In Art Crime in Context, edited by Naomi Oosterman and Donna Yates, pp. 159 - 175. Springer Studies in Art, Heritage, Law, and the Market, Volume 6, Switzerland. (2022)
Taking Ancient Maya Vases off their Pedestals: A Case Study in Optical Microscopy and Ultra Violet Light Examination. In Contextualizing Museum Collections at the Smithsonian Institution: The Relevance of Collections-Based Research in the Twenty-First Century, edited by María Martínez-Martínez, Erin L. Sears, and Lauren Sieg, pp. 165-178. Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Number 54. Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, Washington, D.C. (2022)
The Varied Body. In The Adorned Body: Mapping Ancient Maya Dress, edited by Nicholas Carter, Stephen Houston, and Franco Rossi, pp. 153-165. University of Texas Press, Austin. (2020)
The Collared Body. In The Adorned Body: Mapping Ancient Maya Dress, edited by Nicholas Carter, Stephen Houston, and Franco Rossi, pp. 104-120. University of Texas Press, Austin. (2020, written with Mallory Matsumoto)
The Many Lives of Maya Antiquities: Tracking Distribution and Redistribution through Auction Catalogues. In The Market for Mesoamerica: Reflections on the Sale of Pre-Columbian Antiquities, edited by Cara G. Tremain and Donna Yates, pp. 170-188. Maya Series on Archaeology. University Press of Florida. (2019)
Non-invasive Techniques to Authenticate the Painted Surfaces of Ancient Maya Ceramics. In Anthropology of Forgery: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Archaeological Fakes, edited by Monica Baggio, Elisa Bernard, Monica Salvadori, and Luca Zamparo, pp. 173-180. Antenor Quaderni 46, Padova University Press, Italy. (2019)
Edited Volume
The Market for Mesoamerica: Reflections on the Sale of Pre-Columbian Antiquities, edited by Cara G. Tremain and Donna Yates. Maya Series on Archaeology. University Press of Florida. (2019)
Online Articles and Blogs
Apparent ancient artifacts are found in a B.C. thrift shop — and archeology faculty are on the case. The Conversation Canada (2025, written with Sabrina Higgins)
The Continuing Relevance of Museums in Canada: Active History (2025)
Looting and the Antiquities Market: Peopling the Past (2025)
Giving Deaccessioned Museum Objects a New Home and Purpose: Active History (2020)
The Maya and the British Museum: 100 Histories of 100 Worlds in 1 Object (2021, written with Diana Karina Moreiras Reynaga)
Painted Vessel: Smart History (2016)
TV / Video
Secrets in the Jungle TV Series: Shark Teeth Films (2022)
Studying Maya Textiles: Society for the Museum of Original Costume AGM (2021)
Other
Ancient Maya Costume review: Frockflicks (2021)
Cochineal Dyeing: Mexicolore (2015)
Ancient Maya Clothing: Mexicolore (2014)
Recorded Presentations
(2025) Archaeology made fun and colourful: sharing the story of Coco Chan with the Indian Church Government School. Belize KULCHA Symposium