The materials include the minerals, the organic materials and the biologically produced materials such as bones, teeth, shells, and plant remains. Much of my research to date is in the field of prehistory. I firmly believe that field and laboratory studies have to be totally integrated, and that this can best be achieved by working in both the field and the lab. For this purpose, I also operate a portable Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer on-site, to enable me to work in the field in an interactive mode. In the lab, I use a wide array of instruments to better understand the problem.
Archaeological research is also highly interdisciplinary.
This team is excavating Hayonim Cave in northern Israel. Evidence for the Use of Fire at Zhoukoudian, China. A reexamination of the evidence in Layer 10, the earliest archaeological horizon in the site, shows that burned and unburned bones are present in the same layer with stone tools. However, no ash or charcoal remnants could be detected. Hence, while indirect evidence for burning is present, there is no direct evidence for in situ burning.