Dr. Mackenzie Masters

I am a post-doctoral researcher on the LOCO project, investigating the mobility of people, ideas and objects with the team.  My PhD research aimed to integrate osteology, archaeothanatology, chaîne opératoire approaches, and isotopic analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O and Pb). I am particularly interested in how reconstruction of burial processes can be married with reconstruction of diet and mobility to illuminate both embodied lives and post-mortem treatment within past communities. My research has specialised in commingled remains and mass burials from Roman/Late Antiquity and Medieval periods in Romania and the UK.   Additionally, I have contributed to an array of ancient DNA projects as a research assistant with the Francis Crick Institute (London), where I contributed to sampling Roman and Medieval period remains from York, Leicester, and Lincoln (UK). As well as ERC COMMIOS (University of York) contributing aDNA samples of Iron Age material from Belgium, France, Scotland, and England. 

Education

• PhD Archaeology, University of York (2025)
• MSc (bio)Archaeology, University of Southampton (2020)
• BSc Anthropology Portland State University (2015)

Project Title

LOCO

Supervisor

Prof. Dr. Christophe Snoeck

Keywords

• Isotopes
• Mobility
• Diet
• Osteology
• Multiple burials