Iain McKechnie

Iain McKechnie
Position
Associate Professor
Anthropology
Status

Accepting MA/PhD students

Contact
Office: Cornett B246a
Credentials

PhD University of British Columbia

Area of expertise

Coastal Archaeology, Historical Ecology, Northwest Coast, Zooarchaeology

Encouraging grad student applications for Fall 2023.

I am a coastal archaeologist interested in the history of food and settlement as a medium for understanding human-environmental relations on the Pacific Northwest Coast. I am a specialist in zooarchaeology (the archaeology of animal bones) and historical ecology (contextualizing modern ecosystem observations with those from well before the 20th or 21st centuries). I am also keen on cartography, visualization of archaeological data, and digital archaeological techniques and technologies.

My research focuses on the human use of animals, with a particular concentration on fish, shellfish, and marine mammals along the British Columbia Coast. I explore how these ancient records broaden contemporary perspectives on present day resource management challenges and the legacy of Indigenous settlement, use, and care for coastal environments.

I am participating in research with the Hakai Institute’s marine science programs as well as conducting ongoing fieldwork out of the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre in Nuu-chah-nulth territories in Barkley Sound along the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Interests

  • Coastal Archaeology
  • Zooarchaeology
  • Historical Ecology
  • Northwest Coast
  • Fisheries

Courses

Spring 2023

  • NOT TEACHING

Current projects

Publications

Articles and chapters

Guest edited journal issues