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LABORATORY

For every artifact we find, the goal is to identify cultural affiliation and chronological period in order to address research topics.

We Pride Ourselves on Our
Good Laboratory Practices.

In the TerraX lab, we combine our passion for preserving our cultural resources with good laboratory practices to collect, organize, analyze, and curate artifacts. Our experts can tell the difference between Susquehanna and Stanly projectile points in their sleep! They also value organization and attention to detail, and they’ll make sure to take care of all the cool stuff we find in the field. Check out our Instagram to see more of the fascinating things we’ve and evaluated in our lab!

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Laboratory Analysis

All cultural materials discovered during surveys are analyzed based on material, physical traits, and function. This includes all man-made materials over fifty years old including historic and prehistoric materials. Analysis is crucial to the understanding and interpretation of the projects completed by TerraX.

Dedicated Staff

TerraX's lab, located in Tuscaloosa, AL, is constantly humming with archaeological activity. Led by Dr. Mark Donop, our laboratory professionals work tirelessly to preserve and analyze every artifact we collect from the field. This team has extensive experience evaluating and categorizing both prehistoric and historic findings and efficiently analyzing assemblages with tens of thousands of individual artifacts.

Mark Donop

  • PhD. in Anthropology

  • 26 years of experience in the Southeastern U.S. and the Circum-Caribbean

  • Experience serving the US Forest Service, Alabama Department of Transportation, Tennessee Valley Authority, US Army Corp of Engineers, and several military installations

Julia Sponholtz

  • B.S. in Biology, B.A. in Anthropology and Spanish, M.A. in Anthropology

  • Research assistant in the Ancient Peoples and Plants Lab at the University of Alabama 

  • Research assistant in the Human Behavioral Ecology Research Group  at the University of Alabama

  • Research assistant in the Osteology lab at the University of Alabama 

Mike Eichstaedt

  • B.A. in Anthropology

  • Field Technician for the Applied Anthropology Laboratory at Ball State University

  • Recipient of a Troyer Grant (BSU Anthropology Department)

  • Background in lithic, ceramic, faunal, and native copper artifacts

Joanna Klein

  • B.S. in Anthropology, M.A. in Anthropology specializing in bioarchaeology with a focus on biomechanics

  • Field work in the Midwest and Southeast

  • Inventories of Native American remains under NAGPRA guidelines

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