While studying archaeology in Mexico, Paige Phillips '12 learned that chemical changes in soil can yield important insights into past civilizations. For example, fatty acids can indicate where cooking took place. Phillips hopes to further her understanding of chemical archaeology by returning to a colonial Mayan site in Mexico and by working with researchers at a village founded by free African Americans in Illinois and a site where indigenous Pequots and European immigrants battled in Connecticut. Phillips will collaborate with anthropology Prof. Julia Hendon and chemistry Prof. Don Jameson, reflecting her major and minor respectively.

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