Welcome to the Laboratory for the Analysis of Early Food-Webs at Washington University!
Our lab is involved in a range of multidisciplinary research projects focused on reconstructing ancient food-webs. Lab isotope scientists, archaeologists and archaeobotanists work closely to address questions about diet and nutrition, palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment. Some of our recent projects have included analysis of movement of ancient crops across the Eurasian continent, climate variability in Africa, and human settlement of marginal environments on the Tibetan Plateau and the Negev desert.
Research Highlights
Zhengwei Zhang published a study in Quaternary International on the food practices of the earliest inhabitants of the Tibetan Plateau.
Wei Wang published a study in the Journal of Archaeological Science on Bronze Age human dietary adaptations in the Inner Mountain Asian corridor.
Petra Vaiglova published a study in Scientific Reports on the collapse of the Byzantine Empire in the Negev Desert.
To find out more about our ongoing research activities, check out our blog!
Teaching Highlights
Biomolecular Archaeology: Are you what you eat? (Anthropology 4565) is listed as one of the ‘6 Classes That Will Make You Want to Return to Classroom’
PhD student Ximena Lemoine receives a Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence
Contact us
Xinyi Liu, Principal Investigator: liuxinyi@wustl.edu
Petra Vaiglova, Lab Coordinator: petra.vaiglova@wustl.edu
Location: B29 McMillan Hall, One Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130-4899