• Kyra Johnson
  • Kyra Johnson
  • Advisor: Dr. Dan Cabanes
  • Focus Area: Archaeology
  • ACADEMIC BIOGRAPHY:

    I received my BA in Anthropology with distinction from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Spring of 2019. My undergraduate research focused on the effects of heat treatment on the surface texture of bone under different conditions. I joined the PhD program in Anthropology at Rutgers in the Fall of 2019.

  • CURRENT PROJECTS:

    My project is going to continue to develop the research I began during my undergraduate career by investigating the effects of heat on bone at a micro, meso, and macro scale. I intend to not only look at archaeological remains, but to also carry out extensive experiments to create a database of modern comparisons for multiple different heating conditions. Through my research, I hope to not only determine the best method for identifying burned bones in the archaeological record, but to also expand on my findings, to better understand differences in pyrotechnology usage by European hominins during the Pleistocene.

  • RESEARCH INTERESTS:

    Microarchaeology, bone, taphonomic processes, development of pyrotechnology, diagenesis