Samantha Kelley

Areas of Interest

Forensic Anthropology, Zooarchaeology, Bioarchaeology, Climate Change, Pathology, Archaeology of the Individual, NAGPRA

Research Interests & Fieldwork

I am interested in understanding and interpreting zooarchaeological remains of past landscapes and environments. In the past, I have assisted with the analysis of faunal remains from Kiliuda Bay on Kodiak Island and sites on Chirikof Island and the Aleutian Islands. In my current research, I am collaborating with the Alutiiq museum and assisting and coordinating students in the analysis of faunal assemblages from different archeological sites in Alaska. The aim of these projects is to understand and illuminate site histories of occupation, subsistence strategies, as well as ancestral Alutiiq culture.

My masters research focused on developing a population-inclusive method of skeletal sex estimation from volume rendered computed tomography (CT) scans of the skull.

Publications

2021    Pokines James, Samantha Kelley, Alexis Muschal, Isabella Liggett, Alyssa Zamora, Megan Hill, Sierra Sater, Austin Shamlou, Meagan O’Brien. Bone Dispersal by Vertebrae Taxa in an Urban Park Environment in New England, USA. Forensic Science International.

2019    Duppenthaler Madeline, Samantha Kelley, and Catherine West. Kiliuda Bay, KOD-405: Faunal Analysis. In Archaeological Investigations at the Malriik site, KOD-405, Kiliuda Bay, Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska. Report prepared for US Bureau of Indian Affairs, Alaska Region, Anchorage, Alaska, by Amy Steffian and Patrick Saltonstall, pp. 133-147. Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository.

Invited Talks

2021    Kelley Samantha. Incorporating Metrics and Non-Metrics in the Development of a Population Non-Specific Model Using CT Scans of the Skull, MD 101, Fractured Lives and Bodies: Forensic Anthropology, Disasters, and Human Rights, Kilachand Honors College, Boston University, Boston, MA (April 6, 2021).

2020    Seminario Linda, Samantha Kelly, Catherine West, Kathleen Forste, and Joe Bagley. “Down in the Dumps: An Introduction to Feature 7 of the Pierce-Hichborn House.” Presentation at Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) Annual Meeting.