I am a bioarchaeologist who uses chemical (stable isotopic) and forensic analysis of human skeletal and mummified remains to construct life histories of disease, diet, physical activity, environment and geographical relocations on both individual and populations scales. This way of putting the flesh back on ancient people allows the reconstruction of living conditions, social structure, political and economic behaviour, migration, colonization, warfare, and marriage patterns. My research addresses major archaeological issues primarily in Latin and North America, the Nile Valley, Western Europe and the North Atlantic, but also helps us to understand the role that environmental change, socio-political upheavals, and technological revolutions have played in the history of human health, nutrition and population growth.