Jennifer E. Mack
Lead Bioarchaeologist
Department:
SPH-Population Health Science
Email:
jmack@umc.edu
Work Phone:
(601) 815-5278
Biography
Dr. Jennifer Mack is the Lead Bioarchaeologist of the Asylum Hill Project, which is dedicated to exhuming, researching, and memorializing the individuals buried in the now-unmarked cemetery associated with the Mississippi State Asylum. Her research is conducted in consultation with direct descendants and descendant communities, with the goal of honoring the experience and legacy of the patients of the asylum, which once occupied the property that is now UMMC's campus.
Each summer, Dr. Mack teaches the Asylum Hill Bioarchaeological Field School, a program which draws anthropology students from across North America to learn bioarchaeological field and lab methods. She also oversees research projects conducted by students and staff archaeologists.
Dr. Mack has an extensive background in excavating and researching historical cemeteries in the US (including other institutional cemeteries), as well as working with human remains from archaeological sites in the US and abroad. She has 27 years of field and laboratory experience, working both in the private sector and for state institutions. Previous and current research topics include adolescent mortality and mortuary treatment, health and mortality in institutionalized populations, and the relationship between early-life stress and later life vulnerability to communicable diseases.
A native of Pensacola, Florida, she maintains her membership in the Florida Emergency Operations Response System (FEMORS), a mass-fatality response organization.
Education
| University of Exeter, PhD, Archaeology | 2020 |
| Emory University, BA, History/Art History | 1996 |
Current Positions
| Assistant Professor, School of Population Health | 04/2022 - Present |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, Mississippi 39216 | |
Publications
Archaeological report | |
| Mack JE, Davis W Additional Archaeological Investigations at the Unmarked Johnson County Poor Farm Cemetery (13JH1149), Section 13, T79N-R7W, Johnson County, Iowa Technical Report 1898. Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2022 | 2022 |
| Mack JE, Noldner LK Bioarchaeological Reports on Human Skeletal Remains from Iowa and Other Proveniences, Research Papers 47(1) Research Papers 47(1). Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 2022 | 2022 |
| Mack JE Archaeological Investigations at the Unmarked Johnson County Historic Poor Farm Cemetery (13JH1149), Section 13, T79N-R7W, Johnson County, IA Technical Report 1898. Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 2021 | 2021 |
| Mack JE Recommendations for Improvements and Maintenance at the Unmarked Johnson Country Historic Poor Farm Cemetery, Section 13, T79N-R7W, Johnson County, Iowa Technical Report 1674. Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2021 | 2021 |
| Hawkins AJ, Mack JE, Noldner LK Emergency Assessment and Salvage of Ancient Human Remains Exposed at 13PM7, Plymouth County, Iowa Technical Report 1205. Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 2020 | 2020 |
| Mack JE, Noldner LK Bioarchaeological Reports on Human Skeletal Remains from Iowa and Other Proveniences, Research Papers 44(1) Research Papers 44(1). Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 2019 | 2019 |
| Mack JE Human Remains and Artifacts Recovered from the South Ravine Burial Site (13WD216), near Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa Bioarchaeological Reports on Human Skeletal Remains from Iowa and Other Proveniences. Research Papers 44(1). Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 2019 | 2019 |
| Lepcin RF, Mack JE, Storey GR Farris Cemetery (13MD221), Madison County, Burial Project 3247: Ground-penetrating Radar Survey Technical Report 811. Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 2018 | 2018 |
| Mack JE, Noldner LK Bioarchaeological Reports on Human Skeletal Remains from Iowa and other Proveniences. Research Papers 42(2) Research Papers 42(2). Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 2017 | 2017 |
| Mack JE, Noldner LK Bioarchaeological Reports on Human Skeletal Remains from Iowa and other Proveniences, Research Papers 42(1) Research Papers Vol. 42 (1). Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 2017 | 2017 |
| Campbell J, Clark R, Mack JE, Mathews JH, Meyer EH, Morehead JR, Thomas PM (alphabetical) Archaeological Investigation of 8VO9454 (Burial Ground at Florida Hospital DeLand), an Indigent Cemetery Associated with the Late 19th to 20th Century Volusia County Poor House, Deland, Florida Prentice Thomas & Associates, Inc., Report of Investigation No. 1459. Fort Walton Beach, FL, 2016 | 2016 |
| Mack JE, Noldner LK Bioarchaeological Reports on Human Skeletal Remains from Iowa, Research Papers 41(3) Research Papers 41(3). Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 2016 | 2016 |
| Lillie RM, Mack JE, Nagel C, Ingersoll K, Artz JA, Davis CA, Storey GR, Schermer SJ Bioarchaeology and History of Dubuque’s Third Street Cemetery, 13DB476, Dubuque County, Iowa Research Papers 37(1). Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 2013 | 2013 |
Journal Article | |
| Mack JE, Howard CM, Didlake RH Rare finding of a porcelain gallbladder in an early 20th-century asylum cemetery: Radiologic, clinical, and bioarchaeological perspectives International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. 2024; 34(3):1-7 | 2024 |
| Mack JE The Sioux City South Ravine Burial Site (13WD216): The “Unknown 15” Lost and Found Journal of the Iowa Archaeological Society; 2021, Volume 68:1–17. | 2021 |
| Mack JE, Clarke DS Working Hard and Living Out: Adolescence in Nineteenth-Century Dubuque Annals of Iowa. 2020; 79-4:311–341 | 2020 |
| Olalde I, Mallick S, Patterson N, Rohland N, Villalba-Mouco V, Silva M...Mack J...Reich D (111 authors) The genomic history of the Iberian Peninsula over the past 8000 years Science. 2019; Vol 363, Issue 6432: pp. 1230-1234 | 2019 |
| Mack JE, Waterman AJ, Racila A-M, Artz JA, Lillios KT Applying Zooarchaeological Methods to Interpret Mortuary Behavior and Taphonomy in Commingled Burials: The Case Study of the Late Neolithic Site of Bolores, Portugal International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. 2016; 26-3: 524–536 | 2015 |
| Lillios KT, Artz JA, Waterman AJ, Mack JE, Thomas JT, Trindade L, Luna I The Rock-Cut Tomb of Bolores (Torres Vedras): An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding the Social Landscape of the Late Neolithic/Copper Age of the Iberian Peninsula Trabajos de Prehistoria. 71(2) 2014; 282-304 | 2014 |
Dissertation | |
| Mack JE What Hope Lies Buried Here: Differential Mortality and Mortuary Treatment of Adolescents in Dubuque's Third Street Cemetery (Published as) Research Papers Vol. 45 (1) Office of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, 2020 | 2020 |
Book Chapter | |
| Mack JE, Key LB, Saterstrom N, Wicke EJ Buried Threads: Weaving Narratives Through Art and Bioarchaeology at the Asylum Hill Cemetery Applied Bioarchaeology: Making an Impact (Springer Nature, Cham, Switzerland, 2025) | 2025 |
Book | |
| McKenzie CJ, Tilley L, Mack JE, Evis LH (editors) Applied Bioarchaeology: Making an Impact Springer Nature, Cham, Switzerland, 2025 | 2025 |
| Lillios KT, Waterman AJ, Mack JE, Artz JA, Nilsson–Stutz L In Praise of Small Things: Death and Life at the Late Neolithic-Early Bronze Age Burial of Bolores, Portugal British Archaeological Reports International Series, 2716. Archaeopress, Oxford, 2015 | 2015 |
| Lillie RM, Mack JE Dubuque’s Forgotten Cemetery: Excavating a Nineteenth-century Burial Ground in a Twenty-first-century City. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, Iowa, 2015 | 2015 |
Presentations
| Invited Symposia, Buried by Mr. Turner: The Archaeology and Bioarchaeology of Asylum Hill, 81st Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Baton Rouge, LA | 11/2025 |
| Platform Presentations, “Define Fence for Grave Yard and Have Same Enlarged”: Overview and Preliminary Findings from the Asylum Hill Project, 81st Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Baton Rouge, LA | 11/2025 |
| Platform Presentations, “Sheets, burial…126”: Burial Clothing and Mortuary Treatment at Asylum Hill, 81st Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Baton Rouge, LA | 11/2025 |
| Platform Presentations, Using Historical References and Archaeological Data to Reconstruct Early 20th Century Coffins from UMMC’s Asylum Hill Cemetery, 81st Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Baton Rouge, LA | 11/2025 |
| Platform Presentations, “Ever True to Thee”: Archaeo- and Osteobiographies from Asylum Hill, Society for American Archaeology, New Orleans, LA | 04/2024 |
| Platform Presentations, Porcelain Gallbladder and Other Evidence of Gallbladder Disease and Treatment at Asylum Hill, American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Los Angeles, CA | 03/2024 |
| Platform Presentations, Not Forgotten: Personal Touches in Mortuary Treatment at Asylum Hill, Society for Historical Archaeology, Oakland, CA | 01/2024 |
| Platform Presentations, Not Forgotten: Personal Touches in Mortuary Treatment at Asylum Hill, Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Chattanooga, TN | 10/2023 |
| Platform Presentations, Madness in Mississippi: Weaving Narratives Through Bioarchaeology and Oral History at Asylum Hill, European Association of Archaeologists, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 09/2023 |
| Poster Presentation, Updates on the Asylum Hill Cemetery Project, Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Little Rock, AR | 11/2022 |
| Platform Presentations, Broken Blossoms: An Examination of Adolescent Mortality and Mortuary Treatment at Dubuque’s Third Street Cemetery, Society for American Archaeology, Chicago | 03/2022 |
| Platform Presentations, Mill Creek Mortuary Practice: The View from 13PM7, Society for American Archaeology, Chicago | 03/2022 |
| Poster Presentation, The Stockman, the Nurse, and the Engineer: Using historical documents to interpret osteobiographies, American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Denver | 03/2022 |
| Platform Presentations, Broken Blossoms: An Examination of Adolescent Mortality and Mortuary Treatment at Dubuque’s Third Street Cemetery, Society for the Study of Childhood in the Past, Sheffield, UK | 10/2019 |
| Platform Presentations, Of Little Archaeological Value: The Remains of the “Unknown 15” Lost and Found, Midwest Archaeological Conference, Mankato, MN | 10/2019 |
| Platform Presentations, Tomfoolery and Tuberculosis: An Examination of Adolescent Health and Mortality at Dubuque’s Third Street Cemetery, British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology | 09/2018 |
| Platform Presentations, Cufflinks, Quarters, and Consumption: An Examination of Adolescent Burials at Dubuque’s Third Street Cemetery, Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans | 01/2018 |
| Platform Presentations, Biographies, Practices, and Social Change: Multi-Scalar Research at the Late Neolithic-Early Bronze Age Collective Burial of Bolores, Portugal, European Association of Archaeologists, Istanbul | 09/2014 |
| Platform Presentations, Osteological Landmark Quantification and the Taphonomy of the Late Neolithic Rock-cut Tomb of Bolores, Portugal, Society for American Archaeology, Austin, TX | 04/2014 |
| Platform Presentations, Myth and Memory at a 19th Century Catholic Cemetery, Society for American Archaeology, Austin, TX | 04/2014 |
| Poster Presentation, A Puzzling Purple Pigment: Preservation and Pseudo-pathology Predicaments, Paleopathology Association, Knoxville, TN | 04/2013 |
Honors, Awards, and Recognition
| James Deetz Book Award, Society for Historical Archaeology | 2017 |
Professional Membership and Service
| Society for American Archaeology, Member | |
| Southeast Archaeological Conference, Member | |
| Register of Professional Archaeologists, Member | |
| American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Member | |
| Society for Historical Archaeology, Member |
Community Service
| Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System (FEMORS), Anthropologist | 05/2005 - Present |
Other Service
| Center for Field Sciences, Board of Directors | 09/2023 - Present |
Teaching Experience
| DH405, DH433, Dentistry, Clinical/Practicum, Lab Director, Patient Care II and III | Annual 2023 |
Directed Student Learning
| Internship supervisor, Advised: Aiden Lewis | 2024 - 2025 |
| Internship supervisor, Advised: Brianna Hoffmann | 2015 - 2015 |