My doctoral research examines how aspects of human social organization (such as agriculture, settlement patterns and routes of movement) are influenced by the conditions of northern coastal landscapes. The focus of my investigation is to understand human environmental relationships and dwelling through the lens of human-plant interactions and uses the Picts as a cultural case study through a collaboration with the University of Aberdeen's Northern Picts Project. My research targets durable microbotanical residues (e.g., phytoliths and starch grains) from archaeological sediments, artifacts, and animal teeth to reconstruct the botanical relationships in Pictland.

I am an active lab member of the McMaster Paleoethnobotanical Research Facility and the principal administrator of McMaster's online microbotanical database: https://macmicrobot.omeka.net.

ResearchGate Profile & Instagram

Publications:

Prado, S. 2021. Esoteric Botanical Knowledge-Scapes of Medieval Iberia. Archaeological Review from Cambridge, 35(2), 98-111. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.71851

Shalen Prado supports Indigenous Sovereignty and Land Back, and she encourages others to make meaningful actions to support Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island.