The Palaeoecology, Environmental Archaeology and Timescales (PEAT) Laboratory (in QC 1000) is equipped with a variety of resources for both teaching and research involving the analysis of insect and plant remains associated with archaeological sites (archaeoentomology, palynology and plant macrofossil analyses). The laboratory’s main research focus is in examining long-term interactions between humans and the environments of the circumpolar north through the analysis of ecofacts preserved in peat and archaeological sites.

Contacts

Equipment and Facilities 

The PEAT laboratory is equipped with all of the tools necessary for undertaking palaeoecological and environmental archaeological analysis. This includes two Nikon Eclipse Ci-L light microscopes and two Nikon SMZ800N Stereo microscopes (equipped with a Nikon Digital Sight 1000 Camera) for pollen, plant and insect analysis. In addition, we house a Thermo Scientific Precision drying oven, a Mettler Toledo analytical balance, a Thermo Scientific Medifuge centrifuge and a Thermo Scientific accuSpin Micro 17 microcentrifuge.

Reference Collections 

In addition, to our analytical tools we also curate a series of reference collections of insect and plants to aid in the identification of our fossil specimens. These include:

The PEAT Lab Insect Collection

This collection contains reference materials primarily of Coleoptera and was collected in surveys of modern insects across northern Iceland, the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta in southwestern Alaska and Pippy Park, which is adjacent to our laboratory in St. John’s. New material is being added all the time with the most extensive current additions being made by PhD student Carlos Salazar Guerra from an insect survey of L’Anse aux Meadows in northern Newfoundland.

The Jeffrey Speller Plant Macrofossil Reference Collection

Named in honour of PEAT lab alumni Jeffrey Speller who contributed extensively to its development, this collection contains a range of modern specimens of plants common to peatlands and disturbed environments in the circumpolar north. The material was collected from Alaska, Greenland, Scotland and Newfoundland. The collection includes all parts of plants including wood, leaves and seeds.

The Joyce Macpherson Fossil Pollen Collection

This extensive collection comprises the processed fossil pollen residues from all of the sites examined by Joyce MacPherson over a four decade career at Memorial University.

Current projects

• Biocultural and archaeological legacies at L'Anse aux Meadows: This project seeks to reinvigorate archaeological research at L'Anse aux Meadows (LAM) through an examination of chronological legacy data, renewed radiocarbon dating, open area excavation and fine-grained environmental analysis of cultural horizon(s) recently identified in a peat bog adjacent to the Norse ruins at the site. The objectives are, broadly, to examine the roles played by the different people who lived in the area – from Indigenous foragers to European explorers, fishers and planters – in shaping the local landscape and biodiversity from c. 2000 years ago to the present-day. This project is funded through an SSHRC Insight Grant to V. Forbes and P. Ledger.

• Analysis of insect remains and plant microfossils (pollen and associated proxies) as part of the NABO international cross-disciplinary collaborative project Co-production of scientific knowledge and the building of local archaeological capacity in Greenland. This project is funded through a US National Science Foundation grant to Tom H. McGovern (CUNY), Ian A. Simpson (Stirling), Jette Arneborg (National Museum of Denmark), Konrad Smiarsowski (CUNY) and Christian K. Madsen (National Museum of Denmark). 

• Analysis of insect remains as part of the Nunalleq Archaeological Project. V. Forbes' involvement in this project begun as an AHRC postdoctoral fellowship (2013-2016) at the University of Aberdeen, followed by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Université de Bordeaux (2016-2017). She is still collaborating with colleagues from the University of Aberdeen and Qanirtuuq inc., as well as Dr. Jean-Bernard Huchet, in the ongoing analysis of insect remains from this unique, permafrost-preserved site.