Anthony P. Farace

As an anthropologist, my research interests broadly examine the ways in which objects allow us to understand how individuals and communities negotiate their identities and traditions, particularly during periods of cultural change such as migration and culture contact. I investigate these questions through archaeology by studying the material culture that past communities left behind. My archaeological research focuses on how Mississippian peoples (ca. AD 1050–1500) in the Eastern Woodlands of what is now the United States expressed and transformed their identities through the production, use, and consumption of ceramic vessels. To address these questions, I integrate archaeological approaches with methods from the physical sciences, including geochemistry and petrography, to reconstruct technological practices, production traditions, and interaction among communities. My most recent research examines how communities in the Central Mississippi River Valley (present-day Kentucky, Arkansas, and Missouri) negotiated changing identities and practices during the rise of Cahokia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is widely regarded as the first urban center in what is now the United States. My research emphasizes collaborative partnerships with descendant communities, including Tribal Nations, integrating their knowledge and perspectives into archaeological interpretations of their ancestors and cultural heritage.

 

I am currently accepting masters and doctoral graduate students as funding is available in our department. Those interested in north american archaeology, especially in Kentucky or surrounding states in the Central Mississippi River Valley, or those interested in methodological advancements in archaeometric ceramic analysis such as petrography, CT-scanning, or others are welcome to apply. Please email me well ahead of the applications deadline to discuss the possibility of pursuing a graduate degree in our department.

 

This page is currently under construction and information will be added/edited in the next few months.

• archaeology of eastern North America
• technology
• craft production and consumption
• identity and materiality
• ceramic analysis
• archaeometry
• petrography
• Geographic Information Systems
• CT-scanning

• Anthropology