Jessica Mendes Cardoso
Jessica Mendes Cardoso
- Postdoctoral researcher
- Archaeological Sciences – Geochemestry Lab
- jessica.mendescardoso(at)oeaw.ac.at
- Dominikanerbastei 16 | 1010 Vienna
Biographical sketch
She holds a doctorate in Archaeology from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and a doctorate in Geosciences from the University of Toulouse, France. Her research focused on the geochemical applications of isotope analysis in archaeological materials, primarily human and faunal bones and teeth, to reconstruct diet and determine the geological provenance of pre-colonial coastal Brazilian populations. She has extensive experience in zooarchaeology, particularly in South American Brazilian shellmounds, which was the focus of her bachelor's and master's research.
She has worked as an archaeologist in several preventive archaeology projects, gaining experience in both field and laboratory work, as well as cultural heritage education. She was also one of the creators of Sambaquis: A History Before Brazil, the first Brazilian archaeology-themed game.
Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher in the ERC Starting Grant HUE project, working in the new geochemical laboratory with mass spectrometry and isotope analysis of ancient pigments.
Research Projects
Research interests
- Application of geochemistry in Archaeology
- Mass spectrometry and analysis of both traditional and non-traditional isotopes
- Understanding diet and geological provenance of archaeological populations and cultural materials
- Zooarchaeology and the study of human-environment relationships
- Science communication and public outreach in archaeology, with a focus on the preservation of archaeological sites and the culture of ancient populations