DC 1 – Università del Salento, Italy
Kayla is a Marie Curie PhD Fellow within the AGRI-DRY project, based at the Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Paleoecology (LAP) in the Department of Cultural Heritage at Università del Salento. She holds a Master’s degree in Geography, Archaeology, and Environmental Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand, where her research focused on using stable carbon isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of Acacia vachelia (previously: A. erioloba) trees to reconstruct past precipitation patterns in Namibia. Her Master’s research was funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.
Her academic background centres on climate change, human-environment interactions, and past environmental reconstructions. She has experience in stable isotope applications, radiocarbon dating, and dendrochronology, with a keen interest in how these methods contribute to understanding climate variability in dryland regions. Through her PhD research, Kayla is expanding her expertise into the field of archaeobotany, investigating how past agricultural practices in semi-arid environments can inform sustainable solutions for modern climate challenges. She is particularly excited to explore stable isotope applications in ancient plant remains, and the resilience of traditional farming systems.
Beyond her research, Kayla is passionate about science communication, climate change education, and the long-term sustainability of food production systems and the environment in the face of environmental change.
AGRI-DRY Project:
Irrigation and cultivation practices of ancient crops
Kayla’s PhD research within AGRI-DRY aims to investigate how traditional agricultural practices supported food production in semi-arid environments. Her research focuses on stable isotope applications in archaeobotany to explore irrigation strategies, soil fertility management, and plant responses to climate variability. By integrating stable isotope analysis with archaeobotanical studies, she aims to reconstruct past water management techniques, soil fertility practices, and adaptation mechanisms in dryland farming systems.
This interdisciplinary research may provide insights into historical agricultural resilience which will have broader implications for modern sustainability. Understanding how past societies adapted to environmental stressors will contribute to identifying strategies that may inform contemporary climate adaptation and sustainable farming practices.
AGRI-DRY 