Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Environmental Archaeology
Anthropology and Archaeology Professor, Director of the Trent Environmental Archaeology Lab and the Trent Water Quality Centre
Research interests: Archaeological science, stable isotopes, paleoecology, environmental archaeology, human-environment interactions, bone chemistry, paleo diet, domestication and animal husbandry, Arctic, Peru, Chile
Through stable isotope analyses, Professor Szpak is creating a record of how humans have impacted the environment and, how humans have been influenced by the environment throughout time. His unique long-term perspective method will allow a better assessment of the many changes seen today, such as those caused by climate change or human impact on marine ecosystems and fisheries. He is primarily interested in the long-term ecodynamics of marine environments in the North America Arctic (Canada, Alaska, and Greenland) and the Northeast Pacific (British Columbia and California), and in better understanding how humans managed or herded domestic animals in the past, with a particular emphasis on the Andean region and Pacific coast of South America (Peru and Chile).
“I am thrilled to hold a CRC at Trent in the department of Anthropology, which has a stellar reputation for conducting archaeological research. I am continuing my research, which uses chemical analyses of bones from archaeological sites to help us learn about how the environment has changed over thousands of years.”
Inspiring students
Prof. Szpak has a very active research program, offering both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to get involved in various projects across the globe – from Agriculture in the Andes to Palaeoecology of the Arctic.