Samantha Kelley

Areas of Interest

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

Research Interests & Fieldwork

Samantha’s research interests encompass the comprehensive study and interpretation of zooarchaeological remains, shedding light on past landscapes and environments. Her work includes conducting faunal analysis on assemblages from Kiliuda Bay on Kodiak Island, as well as sites on Chirikof Island and the Aleutian Islands. These projects are aimed at understanding and illuminating site histories, including patterns of occupation, subsistence strategies, and the cultural heritage of ancestral Alutiiq communities.

Her masters research focused on developing a novel population-inclusive method of binary assigned-sex-at-birth (ASAB) estimation from computed tomography (CT) scans of the human skull.

Publications

2022    Kelley, Samantha and Sean, Tallman. Population-Inclusive Assigned-Sex-at-Birth Estimation from Skull Computed Tomography Scans. Forensic Sciences, 2022, 2(2), 321-348.

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, 327 (110982):1-9.

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.