Lecturer
Field Director and Maritime Archaeology Director, Cultural Resources Facility

Taylor’s archaeological career began in 2016 as an intern under a State Archaeologist at the Department of Parks and Recreation North Coast Redwoods Park District. They have worked on various projects in New Mexico and California as both a student and crew member. Later they were Archaeology Research Laboratory Undergraduate Coordinator for the Cal Poly Humboldt Anthropology Department and a Crew Chief for the Cultural Resources Facility.

In Fall 2019, Taylor started the Maritime Studies Program at East Carolina University, and their thesis documented the site formation processes of the Sea Scout Wreck of Mallows Bay, MD. Through their research, the vessel was identified as a 104’ Aircraft Rescue Vessel built for the U.S. Army in World War II. By combining this information with the data collected during their field work in 2021, Taylor created a series of 3D models that were used to represent key site formation stages that were then used to create a predictive model. During their time there, they recorded a submerged vessel used as a dock extension of a lumber mill, as well as a submerged wreck that was identified as an oyster vessel in Washington, N.C. Additionally, they have been involved in underwater surveys using side-scan sonar and marine magnetometer in Bath, N.C. In the summer of 2021, they interned at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum where they helped develop 3D photogrammetry techniques to create 3D models of conserved artifacts in the museum’s collection as well as submerged shipwrecks that are under the museum’s stewardship.

After successfully defending their thesis, Taylor returned to Cal Poly Humboldt Cultural Resources Facility as Field Director and Maritime Archaeology Director. They are currently building the Maritime Archaeology Certificate, which will help undergraduate students prepare for graduate programs in maritime archaeology. Additionally, they are helping the Cultural Resources Facility develop a maritime archaeology branch that will help conduct research into Northern California’s rich but understudied maritime cultural history. Additionally, Taylor has maintained proficiency GIS as well as in various fields of archaeology including zooarchaeology, bioarchaeology, forensic archaeology, and artifact analysis