Professor, Department of Anthropology
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Biography: I am interested in theory in archaeology, particularly in how artifacts help to constitute individuals and social groups. This has me investigate the present ("the archaeology of us") to expose how strange the materiality of capitalism is, and to look at societies other than my own, to expose alternatives to the material logic of western society (both in the past and in the present). I am also interested in the theoretical implications of methods in archaeology—how they affect what questions can be answered, and how they will be answered. In the context of this project, I am interested in oral history (and how it affected by publication), in indigenous copy-right on their cultural patrimony, and in designing research and publication contexts in which descendant populations are in control and benefit.
