About | bioarchconsulting

About Us

Sarah has worked as a commercial osteoarchaeologist in New Zealand since 2018, excavating and recording archaeological sites across the country with a focus on the excavation, analysis, and repatriation of kōiwi tangata. This includes consultation with iwi, archaeologists, landowners, developers, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, and other stakeholders, the development of protocols for the excavation and analysis of kōiwi, with expertise in a range of techniques to address specific research questions, and the production of technical and community reports. Additionally, BioArch Consulting provides a photo identification service and facilitates analyses of archaeological midden and other samples including by coordinating with experts in areas such as microfossil, charcoal, radiocarbon dating, stable isotope and faunal analyses.

Dr Sarah Karstens

Sarah has undertaken archaeological and osteological fieldwork and research in New Zealand, Australia and Mongolia. She holds a PhD in bioarchaeology from the University of Auckland and has authored and contributed to a number of publications relating to both osteological and broader archaeological topics. Her PhD research focused on using stable isotope analysis and osteological methods to reinterpret theories of aboriginal subsistence strategies across the Holocene, on the Murray River, South Australia. She is a member of the New Zealand Archaeological Association as well as a number of other professional bodies including the Australasian Society for Human Biology and American Association of Biological Anthropology.

PUBLICATIONS:

Allen, H., Karstens S., Littleton J. 2023. Legacy archaeology: Aboriginal subsistence response to Holocene environmental changes using faunal evidence from archaeological sites on the Lower Murray, South Australia. The Holocene (09596836221145384).
Battles, H., Karstens, S. 2020. Balancing the Theoretical and the Practical: Evaluating a Trial of Increasing Lab-Based Teaching in a Second-Year Human Evolution Course. Australasian Society for Human Biology Annual Conference, Online.
Frohlich, B., Amgalantugs, T., Littleton, J., Ganbat, G., Hunt, D., Nittler, E., Karstens, S., Frohlich, T. and E. Batchatar. 2010. An Overview of Theories and Hypotheses Pertaining to Mongolian Bronze Age Khirigsuurs in the Hovsgol Aimag, Mongolia. Studia Archaeologicae.
Karstens, S. 2023. Palaeodiet at Roonka, South Australia: A multi-method approach in bioarchaeology. PhD Thesis, University of Auckland.
Karstens, S. 2019. What is a Riverine Diet? Australasian Society for Human Biology Annual Conference, Canberra.
Karstens, S., 2016. Analysing the diet of hunter-gatherers on the Murray River: The importance and complexity of reconstructing a stable isotope ecology. Australasian Society for Human Biology Annual Conference, Dunedin.
Karstens, S., 2015. The viability of using individual level stable carbon and isotope analysis to study hunter-gatherer behavioural flexibility at Roonka, South Australia. Australasian Society for Human Biology Annual Conference, Brisbane.
Karstens, S. 2011. Pastoralism and the Health of Prehistoric People: A Palaeopathological Analysis. MA Thesis, University of Auckland, Auckland.
Karstens, S., 2010. Pastoralism and the health of prehistoric people: A palaeopathological analysis. Australasian Society for Human Biology Annual Conference, Auckland
Karstens, S., Allen, H., Littleton, J., 2018. The Bioarchaeology of Mobility: Addressing Issues of Time and Distance. NZAA/AAA Annual Meeting, Auckland.
Karstens, S., Emmitt, J., Littleton, J. In Press. Incorporating Aboriginal and archaeological knowledge with ArcGIS StoryMap. In Rouchecouste, O., Lowe, K., Michalewicz, A., Reeler, C. (eds.), Australasian perspectives on digital archaeology. University of Sydney Press: Sydney.
Karstens, S., Littleton, J., Frohlich, B., Amgaluntugs, T., Pearlstein, K., 2017. Palaeopathological Indicators of Mounted Pastoralism during the Mongolian Bronze Age. American Association of Physical Anthropology Annual Conference, New Orleans.
Karstens, S., Littleton, J., Frohlich, B., Amgaluntugs, T., Pearlstein, K., Hunt, D., 2018. A Palaeopathological Analysis of Skeletal Remains from Bronze Age Mongolia. Homo – Journal of Comparative Human Biology 69(6):324-334.
Littleton, J., Amgalantugs, T., Karstens, S., Pearlstein, K., Carroll, B., Hunt, D., Frohlich, B., 2015. Human Remains from Bronze Age Khirigsuurs in Khuvsgul: A Preliminary Description. Studia Archaeologica, 35(3):1-12.
Littleton, J., Emmitt, E., Petchey, F., Allen, H., Walshe, K., Karstens, S. 2024. Continuity and discontinuity at the burial site of Roonka, Murray Gorge, South Australia. The Holocene 34(9):1278-1289
Littleton, J., Floyd, B., Frohlich, B., Dickson, M., Amgalantogs, T., Karstens, S. Pearlstein, K., 2012. Taphonomic Analysis of Bronze Age Burials in Mongolian Khirigsuurs. Journal of Archaeological Science 39(11):3361-3370.
Littleton J.L., Karstens S.K., Allen H.A. 2021. Murray River societies through the lens of bioarchaeology. In McNiven I., David B. (eds.) Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Indigenous Australia and New Guinea. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
Littleton, J., Karstens, S., Busse, M., Malone, N. 2022. Human-animal interactions and infectious disease: A view for bioarchaeology. Bioarchaeology International 6(1-2):133-148.
Smith, C., Karstens, S., Scott, R., Littleton, J. 2020. A Comparison of Dental Microwear Texture Across Hunter-Gatherer Sites in South Australia. American Association of Physical Anthropology Annual Conference, Online.
Smith, C.B., Littleton, J., Karstens, S., 2017. Dental Microwear Texture and Diet: A Comparison with Isotopic Data. Australian Archaeology Association Meetings, Melbourne.