Ancient Protein and Isotope Laboratory (Ancient PI Lab)
Visit our Lab Website (https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/ventresca-miller-collaboratory/ancient-protein-and-isotope laboratory/) for more information.
- The Ancient Protein Laboratory is a state of the art facility with separate areas for sampling and extraction of proteins. Our facility has the potential to extract proteins from a wide variety of archaeological samples including dental calculus, bone, enamel, as well as residues from ceramics and tools.
- The Isotope Laboratory is a dedicated space for the analysis of archaeological materials, including enamel, bone, dentin, and plants. This state of the art facility includes areas for collagen extraction, the preparation of organic samples, and a separate drilling room for sub-sampling of archaeological materials. We also have a dedicated location for the extraction of proteins and preparation of sample plates for ZooMS.
Ventresca Miller Collaboratory
https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/ventresca-miller-collaboratory/
The Ventresca Miller collaborative is a research environment where scientists work together and communicate with each other, while participating in joint scientific endeavors. Our core collaborative research investigates connections between humans, foodways, and landscapes. We study human diets and movement across the landscape, as well as track the introduction and management of domesticated animals. We accomplish this by combining isotopic and proteomic evidence with other data, including archaeologies, histories, and genomics.
The integration of multiple lines of information allows us to study the driving forces behind the emergence of complex societies and urbanization over long time spans. Our group examines how the transmission of domesticates, commodities, and populations impacted societies. Our research uses a multi-species anthropological approach to examine the mechanisms fueling urbanization including residential mobility, settlement provisioning, and the adoption of domesticates. We connect these findings with the influx of people and pathogens, to understand their impact on proto-urban and urban locales.
NOMAD Science
Dr. Ventresca-Miller is a Co-director and the Head Bioarchaeologist for NOMAD Science
Steppe Sisters
I am a founding member of Steppe Sisters, an international networking group for women, and those who identify as women, conducting research in Central Asia, Mongolia, and China.
