Ancient and Contemporary Environmental Bioindicators Laboratory (ACEBioLab)

The Ancient and Contemporary Environmental Bioindicators Laboratory (ACEBioLab), located in PAS 2271A, supports research on human-environment interactions utilizing cutting edge technology for conducting microspatial analyses of human tissues from past and living populations.  This laboratory houses sample preparation systems (including precision saws, grinder/polishers, micromill) and microscopes with 2D and 3D imaging systems. 

Support for the foundation of ACEBioLab comes from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation – John R. Evans Leaders Fund and an Ontario Research Fund – Infrastructure grant (#37473).

Collections

• Early Bronze Age human and faunal remains from Wadi Faynan 100 in Southern Jordan.  Excavated as part of the ongoing Barqa Landscape Project (with Dr. Russell Adams and Dr. Chris Yakymchuk)
• Ancient Nubian bones, teeth, hair and skin from several sites
• Medieval “monks” from Gurat, France
• Contemporary Norwegian teeth

Lab Services and Collaboration

The ACEbio lab regularly collaborates with and provides service to researchers at the University of Waterloo and Beyond. Lab equipment ideal for a variety of research areas, including minimally destructive analysis and sample preparation for trace element and isotopic analysis, and maintained in this lab and are regularly utilized by both bioarchaeological and external disciplines. If you would like to inquire about potential collaboration or lab equipment use please contact us. You can also check out our recent publications here.

Dr. Alexis Dolphin

Director of the Ancient and Contemporary Environmental Bioindicators Laboratory

Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology

Graduate Students Theses

Jessica Mah - Mobility and the Landscape: Investigating mobility of individuals at Wadi Faynan 100 using minimally invasive strontium isotope analysis

Cassie Sellers - A Proteomic Analysis of Biological Sex and Health in Gurat, France

Aparajita Bhattacharya - Doing DNA differently: A bioarchaeological secondary exploration of Brucella in ancient metagenomes in the NCBI SRA

Serena DiBiase -  An Osteological Study of the Individuals Buried in Grave 3 at Wadi Faynan 100, Jordan

Amanda Kubiak - Identifying the Minimum Number of Sub- Adult Individuals in Grave 6 of the Wadi Faynan 100 Cemetery, Jordan

Kasi Ruddell - Echoes of Contamination: Investigating heavy metal exposure at Wadi Faynan 100, Jordan

Kaithleen Tan –- A Trace Element Analysis of Lead in Human Tooth Enamel from Wadi Faynan 100, Jordan

Julia Tucciarone - A Comprehensive analysis of Dental Remains from the Early Bronze Age I site of Wadi Faynan 100, Jordan

Olivia Vieira - Trauma Pattern Analysis at Early Bronze Age Wadi Faynan 100, Jordan

Robyn Wood - Health and Disease in Byzantine Greece: A Dental Analysis of the Temple of Ismenion Apollo, Thebes

2024

Something old, something new: Ongoing revelations within the Faynan Landscape

2023

Ancient Clostridium DNA and variants of tetanus neurotoxins associated with human archaeological remains

The role of status, diets, and mobility in understanding the impacts of urbanization in early medieval Bergen, Norway (St. Mary's Church): Insights from stable isotope analyses

2022

Exploring childhood mobility in Neolithic Southern France (Roquemissou) using incremental analyses of Sr isotope ratios in tooth enamel

Earliest Evidence of Human Exposure to Anthropogenic Lead Pollution: Inter-And Intra-Individual Variation Documented in Teeth from Early Bronze Age Wadi Faynan 100, Jordan

2020

Barqa Landscape Project

2019

Interpreting medieval mobility from burials at the rock‐hewn church of St. Georges, Gurat (France): Insights from strontium isotope analysis of bones and teeth