Contact
Florida Museum of Natural History
Dickinson Hall
1659 Museum Road
Gainesville, Florida 32611-7800
352-273-1919
kemery@flmnh.ufl.edu
Collection
Other Affiliations
UF School of Natural Resources and the Environment
UF Tropical Conservation and Development
Education
Ph.D. Cornell University
Research Interests
With the Florida Museum Environmental Archaeology team, I study ancient animal, plant, and soil remains to investigate the ancient relationship between humans and the environments within which they lived. Our projects span the circum-Caribbean from the Southeastern United States to northern Peru. I work in the tropical forests of Central America, using the environmental remains recovered in archaeological deposits to understand how the ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican cultures used (and sometimes abused) their natural world. I have worked in Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala for 20 years, and am currently studying animal materials from several Maya sites while also collaborating with other environmental and archaeological researchers to trace the distribution of environmental resources through the Classic Maya community of Motul de San Jose, Guatemala.
Publications
Research News
Ancient DNA reveals an early African origin of cattle in the Americas
Cattle may seem like uniquely American animals, steeped in the lore of cowboys, cattle drives and sprawling ranches. But cattle…
Oldest DNA from domesticated American horse lends credence to shipwreck folklore
An abandoned Caribbean colony unearthed centuries after it had been forgotten and a case of mistaken identity in the archaeological…
Florida Museum honors 2021 Austin, Bullen student research award winners
The Florida Museum of Natural History announced the 2021 winners of the Austin and Bullen Awards for student research and…
See all news articles featuring Kitty Emery
Photo by Kristen Grace/Florida Museum. Please contact our research news desk for media inquiries.