“Synthesis of Bioarchaeological Insights on Life at Wadi Faynan 100”
The Amman Prize (Postgraduate)
University of Waterloo
Anthropology
Dr. Alexis Dolphin (PhD in anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2006) is a bioarchaeologist specializing in dental anthropology and the reconstruction of early childhood environments and lived experience in the past. Having previously participated in archaeological and ethnographic field work in Canada, Belize, Mexico, Iceland, and Peru, she now conducts excavations of the Wadi Faynan 100 burial landscape as part of the Barqa Landscape Project. Dr. Dolphin is a specialist in methods such as histology and microspatial trace element and stable isotope analyses of teeth. She is also developing applications of pathogen and sedimentary DNA analysis, as well as proteomics, to the evaluation of health and well-being in Early Bronze Age Jordan. With her work, Dr. Dolphin hopes to communicate the heritage and scientific value of the integrated analyses of human remains from archaeological sites, even when they may be fragmented or commingled. As an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) and Director of the Ancient and Contemporary Environmental Bioindicators Laboratory (ACEBioLab), Dr. Dolphin enjoys getting students involved in cutting-edge research and developing their love for archaeology, bioarchaeology, and interdisciplinary collaborations.