SFU Archaeology

We’re proud to announce that Sarah Himes has received the Faculty of Environment TA Teaching Award, an honour echoed perfectly by the words of those who work and learn alongside her.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with students enthusiastic about learning geoarchaeology… it’s the student energy that makes teaching it so enjoyable.”
Sarah’s passion for teaching is matched only by the impact she has on those around her. Her teaching is grounded in patience, clarity, and genuine compassion. As one reference beautifully put it, she supports students “according to their individual needs — arguably the most challenging aspect of being an instructor.” Students say she “goes far beyond the basic expectations of a TA.” Her micromorphology lab design “significantly enriched the course content,” and she creates a space where students “feel comfortable asking questions.”
As Sarah puts it, TA‑ships at SFU have helped her develop “a teaching style that encourages student engagement through active learning,” and she is “truly honored by the recognition and grateful to work with amazing students in a department that prioritizes teaching experience.”
A well‑deserved celebration for someone who elevates every learner she meets.

Members of the Simon Fraser University Ancient DNA Lab traveled to Canmore, Alberta, to share their research at the 2026 Canadian Archaeology Association (CAA) Annual Meeting.
Graduate students Willem, Genevieve, and Yuxin hosted and presented at the session "Biomolecular Archaeology in Conservation." Presenters explored how biomolecular techniques such as ancient DNA, ZooMS, and stable isotopes can track past ecosystems to inform modern habitat restoration, species recovery, and sustainable resource management.
The undergraduate lab members Emmet, Jiawei, Alpha, and Yael participated in a special poster session honoring archaeologist Janet Blakey. They presented independent research developed during their ARCH 483 lab training, covering topics including Pacific salmon, Caribbean birds, Caribbean white-tailed deer, and Mayan turtles.

SFU Archaeology students Jo, Kayla, and Chelsea spent their last lab day at Golemo Gradiste preparing our three charcoal samples to be sent off for C14 dating. These samples were taken from several different burned roof beams that had collapsed in their trench. SFU Global Humanities SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at SFU

Last Friday, the SFU team at Golemo Gradište received a visit from Dr. Dave Burley. He joined Dr. Sabrina Higgins, our current undergraduate students Kayla Blake, Jo Hughes, and Chelsea Noble, SFU Archaeology PhD candidate Goran Sanev (and co-director of the project), and SFU alumni Sarah Grenier, Megan Duncan, and Madison Poole for a day at the site. It was a wonderful chance to showcase the project. SFU Global Humanities SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at SFU

SFU student Kayla Blake excavated a collapsed brick and mortar arch last week at the site of Golemo Gradište in North Macedonia, where she is volunteering with Dr. Sabrina Higgins. SFU Global Humanities SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at SFU

Congratulations to MA student Mckenzie Strath who won the Graduate Poster Prize at the 2026 Canadian Archaeological Association/Association Canadienne d'Archéologie Annual Conference. Mckenzie won for her poster “Neanderthal Fire-Making at Oscurusciuto Rock Shelter: Micromorphological Evidence from SU 13.”

Congratulations Dr. Dana Lepofsky and the collaborators! The Xwe'etay/Lasqueti Archaeology Project received Outstanding Award in the Education, Communications, and Awareness category from the 2026 Heritage BC Awards program. https://heritagebc.ca/events-activities/awards/2026-heritage-bc-award-recipients/

The 2026 field season at Golemo Gradište in North Macedonia is underway. This year SFU archaeology students Jo Hughes, Chelsea Noble, and Kayla Blake have joined Dr. Sabrina Higgins as volunteers on the project, where they are excavating part of a late antique church. SFU Global Humanities SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at SFU

Learn about our field school with Metlakatla First Nation Coastal Archaeology Field School, June 1-19, 2026!

Dr. Casey L. Kirkpatrick, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Archaeology, contributed to a study recently published in Nature Communications that revealed 116 signatures of 29 ancient (opportunistic) pathogens from primarily domesticated animals mostly from Bronze Age Eurasian sites. Two of these ancient pathogen genomes (Streptococcus lutetiensis, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae) were complete enough to evaluate their relationship to modern strains through phylogenetic analysis. This study provides proof-of-concept for using zooarchaeological ancient DNA to trace reservoirs, spread, and spillover mechanisms of prehistoric zoonoses.

Runge, A.K.W., et al. Probing the zooarchaeological record across time and space for ancient pathogen DNA. Nat Commun 17, 3469 (2026). https://buff.ly/KZ2yeFl

Photo credit: Anne Kathrine W. Runge