Robert L. Schuyler (1941-2023)
Dear SHA Members,
It is with sadness that we write to share the news that Dr. Robert L. Schuyler died on May 13. A leader in the field of historical archaeology, Schuyler served as President of the Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology (1980-1981) and President of the Society for Historical Archaeology (1982-1983). In 2009, he received the SHA’s Harrington Medal, the highest award bestowed by the society for a "lifetime of contributions to the discipline centered on scholarship.”
Schuyler is best known as an advocate of historical archaeology as part of the broader discipline of anthropology. He defined historical archaeology as global in scope and focused on the modern world. His research reflected the breadth of his interests and included work on Native American historic sites, urban sites, African-American sites, and 20th-century planned communities. He was the editor of two books, and over two dozen significant articles. His 1978 volume, Historical Archaeology: A Guide to Substantive and Theoretical Contributions (Baywood, New York) was long the standard text in the field. Similarly, his 1980 volume, Archaeological Perspectives on Ethnicity in America: Afro-American and Asian American Culture History (Baywood, New York) was important for moving historical archaeology past the study of colonial sites often associated with elite whites.
Julie M. Schablitsky
SHA President