118 Research Reflection by Caston Draper

Faculty Mentor: Stefania Wilks (Anthropology, University of Utah)

When I started at the NHMU archaeobotany lab I had little idea what actual research would look like. but throughout my time I learned what goes into the making of a research project, how to work with a team, and most importantly how to communicate my research to others. I focused mainly on examining the extent of starch contamination from modern starches on ancient ground stone tools from Connley Caves in Oregon, some of which dating to nearly 13,000 years ago. This time in the Late Pleistocene era was characterized by changing climates, not dissimilar to what we face today. The goal of this research was to further establish confidence in starch granule analysis. Following this project I was able to create a research poster, Assessing Starch Contamination from Adherent Soil on Buried Ground Stone Artifacts, and present my research at The Office of Undergraduate Research’s Undergraduate Symposium and the College of Social and Behavioral Science Research Day. It was during these presentations that I learned the importance of scientific communication. While not everyone knew about starch granule analysis, they still brought interesting insights that I had never previously considered. Research in this lab taught me how important the interdisciplinary aspects of science are in order to understand our world as a whole. I learned that it’s important for cross communication between fields so that a scientist can gain a full understanding of the bigger picture. As a biologist I knew ancient starches were simply chains of amylose and amylopectin, but as an archaeologist I could better apply this knowledge to humanity. Ultimately in this lab, I gained a better understanding of the importance of research involving plants. Humans have relied on plants since the dawn of our species and our relationship has been tempered through changing climates, landscapes, and social structures. No time is this research more important than now as we ourselves face the same challenges of our ancestors, even if we try to separate ourselves from them.