PH.D. Candidate Anthropology Archaeology
Research Interests
Mesoamerica; science, technology, and industry; dye production; cash crop economics; colonial Latin America; organic residue analysis; biomarker identification
Socials
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-nadel-223513184/
About
Samantha Nadel’s research focuses on cochineal, a vibrant red dye produced by a semi-domesticated insect raised by numerous Indigenous cultures of the Americas for centuries to millennia. Her research examines the antiquity of this industry and its social context against the backdrop of the tumultuous transition to Spanish colonial rule. To address these questions, she will employ organic residue analysis on ceramic and ground stone artifacts to identify and analyze contexts in which people specialized in cochineal production.