BAM projects
Below are descriptions of my current projects and related products. I hope they give you insight into my work!
Ritual Foodways
My dissertation research reassesses the current model that rituals in the pre-Columbian Caribbean were homogenous and exclusively for the elite. I'm analyzing and comparing zooarchaeological collections from pre-contact ceremonial centers in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands to investigate how ritual foodways were important for maintaining a community identity and strengthening social connections.
This project is indebted to museum collections, particularly from islands recovering from hurricane damage. Results will be shared through exhibitions and outreach initiatives to raise awareness about the link between cultural heritage and the environment, and encourage the protection of archaeological sites that are vulnerable to the changing global climate.
Caribbean Rock Iguana
Rock iguanas (Genus: Cyclura ) are an endangered group of reptiles native to the Bahamian Archipelago and Greater Antilles regions in the Caribbean. They are highly endemic with species only found in particular islands or specific locations. Unfortunately, they are also critically endangered due to a long history of habitat loss and the introduction of invasive species.
Archaeological research in the Turks and Caicos Islands shows that rock iguanas were important to Indigenous foodways and were more widely distributed across island habitats than today. I'm collaborating with multiple researchers to conduct a ZooMS study that explores rock iguana species diversity in zooarchaeology collections and how human activities shaped their biogeography.
Lesser Antilles Rice Rats in the pre-Columbian Caribbean
Extinct Lesser Antilles rice rats have been found in large quantities at many pre-contact archaeological sites. There is evidence that they varied in size—some were as big as cats!— but very little is known about their interactions with humans. With a collaborative team, I'm researching extinct rice rat diversity, ecology, and commensalism via zooarchaeological and isotopic analyses.
Products
Mistretta, Brittany A. 2019 Grenada’s Extinct Rice Rats (Oryzomyini): Zooarchaeological Evidence for Taxonomic Diversity. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 24:71-79. DOI:10.116/j.jasrep.2018.12.018.
Outreach Initiatives
My research has lead to innovative outreach projects that utilize technologies to translate research into educational media. Examples of this work include a community centered project to design and 3D print Indigenous petroglyphs in collaboration with the Mt. Rich Youth Community Environmental Development Organization in Grenada and digitizing Grenadian archaeological artifacts for online exhibition to increase their accessibility. I'm also leading a collaborative team to develop arts in medicine workshops that use 3D printed artifacts from Florida archaeology collections as scientific and artistic inspiration.
Products
Ripley Bullen's Grenada Ceramic Typology
Logo & Web Design
Experimenting with digital media projects as a form of visual science communication has linked a creative outlet to my research. Some of my recent work involves designing the winning logo for the Society for American Archaeology Zooarchaeological Interest Group and joining the ZooArchNet team as their website and logo designer. Click on the links below to view their web pages and designs.
Products
ZooArchNet