About Us
Sarah and Caitlin have worked as commercial bioarchaeologists in New Zealand since 2018. We have completed many technical reports for iwi, archaeologists, landowners, developers, and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. This work involves excavating burials and recording kōiwi. We use a range of analyses and laboratory techniques to analyse kōiwi in consultation with iwi and other stakeholders to address a range of questions. Additionally, as part of this work we facilitate the analysis of archaeological midden for laboratory analysis of pollen, charcoal, radiocarbon dating, and faunal analysis.
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.
Dr Caitlin Smith
Caitlin has worked as an archaeologist and conducted research in New Zealand, the United States, Bahrain, Egypt, and Australia. She also holds a PhD in bioarchaeology from the University of Auckland with her thesis focussing on the application of isotopic techniques to understanding human-animal-environment interactions in the past. This included employing a range of isotopic techniques to investigate changing diet, water use, animal husbandry, and migration in Bahrain over a 4,000-year period.
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