Dr. Matthew Boyd
Dr. Matthew Boyd studies 10,000-year old suppers.
An archaeologist who broadly researches human-environmental interactions, Dr. Boyd is particularly interested in the evolution of the traditional wild rice economy and food production systems in the ancient boreal subarctic.
By digesting the plant residues found on pottery shards in acid, he is able to piece together the diet of the first peoples to inhabit this region, the Paleoamericans. A particularly exciting find of his research was the discovery of maize and other cultivated foods 1000 years prior to European contact. Discovered on shards that had settled far up north, these results suggest that the growth of domesticated plants in the region was more extensive than previously believed.
Dr. Boyd is also actively involved in reconstructing the history of large Pleistocene (Ice Age) lakes and their impacts on vegetation, climate, and early Aboriginal societies. Having had an opportunity to work on archaeological sites from the North American Rockies to Anatolia, he reflects on the enticement of travelling to often remote and foreign locations and "immersing yourself" in the remains of ancient societies. "One of the reasons that I love archaeology is due to the tangible, experiential, nature of discovery in this discipline."
Dr. Boyd is proud of the accomplishments of his graduate students and their successes both during and after their studies. "I've had the good fortune to work with several excellent students, all of whom have made or are making significant contributions to Canadian archaeology." These achievements have introduced novel insight into several lines of research including the history of cultivated plants in ancient North America and the early and middle Holocene environmental history of the Lake Superior basin. Following graduation, his students have continued their archaeological careers in both the public and private sectors, finding employment with universities and Cultural Resource Management.
Dr. Boyd adds that Lakehead's MES program accommodates so many disciplines and research interests, students intent on exploring human-environmental interactions in the North are sure to find an area of study that piques their passion. "Our diverse faculty includes internationally-recognized experts in the archaeology, biogeography, climatology, cultural geography, and history of Northern Canada."