Jessica Mendes Cardoso

Dr. Jessica Mendes Cardoso is a postdoctoral researcher at the Austrian Archaeological Institute's Geochemistry Lab. She holds dual PhDs in Archaeology (University of São Paulo) and Earth Sciences (University of Toulouse), and specializes in isotope analysis of archaeological materials.

• PhD in Archaeology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
• PhD in Earth Sciences, University of Toulouse, France

Her research focuses on:

• Reconstructing dietary patterns through geochemical analysis
• Determining geological origins of precolonial Brazilian populations
• Zooarchaeological studies of South American shell mounds
• Science communication and public archaeology
• Mass spectrometry applications in archaeology

Dr. Cardoso has received an ERC Starting Grant for the HUE project, which investigates ancient pigments through isotope analysis. She has extensive field and laboratory experience from preventive archaeology projects in Brazil, and co-created "Sambaquis: A History Before Brazil", the first Brazilian archaeological video game.