Speaker: Shelby Jones-Cervantes

Shelby Jones-Cervantes will give a presentation on her current archaeomagnetic dating research and the methods behind this mode of dating heat treated archaeological material. She studies pottery types from the 4 Corners area and does experimental archaeology to replicate ancient pottery-making techniques so they can determine cooling time (this effects how much of the magnetic signature is retained in the material). Shelby is using archaeological pottery sherds to study the earth’s past magnetic field, and while she’s at it, getting a more accurate calibration for dating artifacts using this method.

Shelby Jones-Cervantes is a PhD candidate at Scripps Institute of Oceangraphy studying earth’s magnetic field. She is expected to finish her dissertation in August 2019.