|
Background
I am a bioarchaeologist specializing in the analysis of human health and diet through material and tissue analysis, human osteology and mortuary archaeology. I have been part of the Dakhleh Oasis research project in Egypt since 2002, and joined a second expedition at Dayr al-Barsha in Egypt in 2006. I specialize in residue and isotopic analysis of human tissues to better understand connections among biological, social and physical environments, as they existed in the past. I am especially interested in physiological responses to seasonality, adolescence and pregnancy, and placement of the dead in the physical and social landscapes. My current research focuses on hair and organ tissue analysis of ancient populations from Egypt and Jordan to evaluate parasite load and general health among ancient communities, and refining isotopic and compound-specific methods of analysis when working with preserved archaeological tissues. I also work with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies on the search, recovery and identification of human skeletal remains.
I have been at Muhlenberg since 2008 and teach Human Evolution, Rise of Ancient Civilizations, Human Osteology, Introduction to Bioarchaeology, Archaeology Methods & Practice, Life and Death in Ancient Egypt, and Archaeology of Ancient Mesoamerica. My teaching interests also include ancient sexuality and social identity, the archaeology of food & feasting practices, and the archaeology of conflict and violence.
Selected Awards
2009 Canadian Governor General’s Academic Medal (Gold)
2009 University Student Council Teaching Excellence Award 2007-2008
(The University of Western Ontario)
2008 University Student Council Teaching Excellence Award 2006-2007
(The University of Western Ontario)
2007 Western Graduate Review of Outstanding Research
(The University of Western Ontario) |
| |
Selected Publications
2009 Dupras TL, Williams LJ, De Meyer M, Peeters C, Depraetere D, Van Thuyne B, and Willems H Evidence for amputation in ancient Egypt. International Journal of
Osteoarchaeology, published in early view online:http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122253705/abstract
2009 Willems H, Delattre A, Dupras T, De Meyer M, Depraetere D, Herbich T, Van Loon G, Peeters C, Verstraeten G, Williams L. Preliminary Report of the 2004-2005 Campaigns
the
Belgian Mission to Dayr al-Barsha. Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo.
2008 Beauchesne P, Colquhoun I, Cross A, Gardner J, Longstaffe F, Marciano L, Metcalfe J, Nelson AJ, Pawlowski A, Wheeler S, White CD, Williams L. Lady Hudson and Mummy
Studies at The University of Western Ontario. In (P Atoche Peña, C Rodríguez Martín and ´A Ramírez Rodríguez, eds) Mummies and Science: World Mummies Research.
Proceedings of the VI World Congress on Mummy Studies. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, pp. 637-640.
2008 Wheeler SM, Beauchesne P, Williams L, Molto JE. Fractured Childhood: A Probable Case of Child Abuse from Ancient Egypt. SAS Bulletin: Newsletter of the Society for
Archaeological Sciences 30(4): 6-9.
2006 Dupras TL, Schultz J, Wheeler SM, Williams LJ. Forensic Recovery of Human Remains: Archaeological Approaches. CRC Press, Boca Raton. |
| |
Forthcoming Publications
Williams LJ, White CD, and Longstaffe FJ. Stable isotope analysis of human hair: tissue rehaydration and phase identification as a means of reducing growth-cycle error. American
Journal of Physical Anthropology. (in review)
Williams LJ, White CD, Longstaffe FJ, and Molto JE. Isotopic Analysis of Mummified Tissues to Evaluate Seasonal Diet at Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. Journal of Archaeological Science. (in
submission)
Dupras TL, Williams LJ, Willems H. Diabetes mellitus in ancient Egypt: The oldest skeletal case? Practical Diabetes International. (in review)
Wheeler SM, Williams LJ, Dupras TL, Tocheri MW and Molto JE. Childhood in Roman Egypt: Bioarchaeology of the Kellis 2 Cemetery, Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. In (M Lally, ed) The
Archaeology of Infancy and Childhood: Proceeding of the Conference Held at the University of Kent, May 2005. Archaeopress: Oxford. (Spring 2010 release)
Professional Memberships
American Association of Physical Anthropology
Canadian Association of Physical Anthropology
Society for American Archaeology
Society for Archaeological Sciences
|
|
Department of Sociology & Anthropology