Recent Additions: Richard Grubb & Associates (RGA) has recently added a zooarchaeology laboratory to their home office in Cranbury, New Jersey. Rob Lore, M.S., Principal Investigator and Faunal Analyst, maintains the laboratory. Mr. Lore received his training in zooarchaeology and his M.S. degree under the direction of Dr. Kristin Sobolik of the Quaternary Institute at the University of Maine, Orono. The RGA zooarchaeology laboratory contains a comparative collection, with an emphasis on domestic and wild species commonly recovered from archaeological sites in the northeast and the mid-Atlantic. Animal bones recovered from archaeological sites provide important data for interpreting human behavior and the environment, including information on diet, reconstruction of past environments, and the historic range of species. These data are useful for prehistoric and historic archaeologists, biologists, and historians. The laboratory is equipped with a microscope, digital scales, computers, standard osteological references, and cookbooks from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. 

Research Projects: In addition to conducting analysis for contract archaeology related projects, Mr. Lore and Field Supervisor Laura Cushman have recently begun a research program focused on analyzing salvaged faunal remains from archaeological sites. The first project involved an analysis of faunal remains from a Middle Woodland period pit at site 28-Me-16, located within the Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. This analysis resulted in an article currently accepted for publication in the 2008 issue of the Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of New Jersey. Please contact rlore@richardgrubb.com for additional information about contract services or ongoing research projects.

New mapping capabilities were acquired by Richard Grubb & Associates (RGA) in 2007. To improve client services, RGA purchased a Nikon Total Station DTM-332 and professional-grade Trimble global position equipment (GPS). The total station provides precision accuracy to facilitate mapping of archaeological data for export to AutoCAD, GIS, or simply as raw spreadsheet data. The Trimble GPS and hardware consist of a Pathfinder ProXH Receiver and Recon Datalogger equipment, Pathfinder Office 3.10, and TerraSync 3.0 software. This sub-foot accuracy GPS system supports digital and manual surveying techniques for precision drafting with AutoCAD and ArcView 9.2 Geographic Information System (GIS). The total station and GPS equipment build on existing data collection systems and GPS services already provided by RGA to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Michael Tomkins joins the staff of Richard Grubb & Associates as Senior Historian on June 18, 2007.  He holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Albany, and has been conducting historical studies for the past 17 years, working primarily in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware and Vermont.  He also serves as a member of the Northampton Township (Bucks County, Pennsylvania) Historical Commission an advisory board appointed by the Township supervisors.  Richard Grubb & Associates is pleased to announce the addition of Michael Tomkins to its team.