Jeffery Baird
Previous Education
B.A. (Anthropology), University of Alaska Anchorage, 2021
Supervisor
Keywords
Environmental Archaeology, Norse Greenland, Palynology, Bayesian Modeling
Research Statement
I am studying the relationships between Medieval Norse farmers and the environment in Greenland. I will add to this previously explored topic through my research. This will be achieved by examining the pollen record at the Norse western settlement farmstead of Sandnes. I utilize a mixture of old and new palynological techniques developed through the disciplines rich research history. This is including but not limited to the introduction of Bayesian modeling into interpreting the age of palynological samples and the identification and interpretation of non-pollen palynomorphs. This methodology creates the possibility to date changes in the environment more precisely, which can then be used to interpret potential changes in the land management practices of agriculturalists like the Greenland Norse. I also hope to generate precise dates for the abandonment of Sandnes, which is currently only roughly estimated.