Foundations for Innovation: The Legacies and Influences of Archaeological Science at McMaster

McMaster University has a long history in archaeological science, including major advances in stable isotope analysis, provenience studies,and long-term human-environmental interactions. Inter-disciplinary research programs have included the pioneering work of Henry Schwarcz in using stable isotope geochemistry for palaeo-climate and palaeo-diet research, and the materials characterization research of Ron Hancock at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. Ongoing research and student training now take place within a wide range of specialized archaeological laboratories, established with the support of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Students are trained at labs focusing on stable isotopes, XRF, ceramic petrography, fisheries, ancient DNA, paleoethnobotany, sediment cores, and in a larger research repository for Ontario archaeological materials. These laboratories have catalyzed research programs across Canada and globally, and are examples of the rapidly evolving state of archaeological science at McMaster as well as ongoing collaborations between institutions. In this session, current researchers and alumni will draw on a wide range of case studies to explore the history of archaeological science at McMaster, the innovative archaeometric and bioarchaeological studies emerging from McMaster laboratories, the application of these studies to diverse social questions, and the state of ongoing collaborative research across the broader landscape of archaeological science.