Assistant or Associate Professor in Historical Archaeology

Assistant or Associate Professor in Historical Archaeology

The Department of Anthropology at Davidson College invites applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor of Anthropology to begin in the Fall of 2024. We seek an anthropological archaeologist specializing in historical archaeology with an interest in Indigenous and/or African diasporic communities. Candidates with fieldwork experience and ongoing research in the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, or the US South, are especially encouraged to apply. Davidson College sits on the lands of the Catawba Nation and a former plantation known as Beaver Dam. The successful candidate will be excited to develop Beaver Dam as a site for research and teaching. We welcome applicants whose expertise will deepen our curricular commitments to decolonial theories and methods in anthropology in hopes that our department can foster meaningful community engagement.

The successful candidate will teach five courses per year, with a one-course reduction in the candidate’s first year. ​​Our department emphasizes a four-field approach to the discipline, and the candidate will join the teaching rotation of major/minor requirements such as methods, the senior colloquium, and introductory courses in archaeology. Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to undergraduate teaching and participate in advising anthropology majors and minors and supervising independent study and/or senior thesis projects. Candidates will also have the opportunity to develop applied and experiential learning courses in archaeological research methods, historic preservation, artifact analysis and interpretation, as well as courses that align with the candidate’s expertise and interests. These might include new courses or revisions of existing courses in applied archaeology, food studies, settlement, land sovereignty, or social justice. A willingness to engage students in local projects, establish a field school at Beaver Dam, or include students in their research projects will be considered a plus.

Current courses in the Anthropology Department support an array of interdisciplinary majors, including Africana Studies, Communication Studies, Environmental Studies, Latin American Studies, and Public Health. The successful candidate will be able to enrich our interdisciplinary relationships with departments across campus, and their work may also include collaborations with The Hurt Hub, Dúta Bahiisere Kus Ráˀhere/We Know Corn Together with the Catawba Nation, the Center for Civic Engagement, and/or the Office of Sustainability. A Ph.D. in Anthropology or Archaeology is required at the time of appointment. Applicants seeking an appointment at the rank of Associate Professor must have demonstrated excellence in teaching, a strong publication record, and an ability to develop a field school at Beaver Dam.

Davidson College is a highly selective, residential, four-year liberal arts college, located twenty miles from Charlotte, N.C. The College is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Davidson places emphasis on excellence in teaching, features outstanding facilities, and provides institutional funding for research, travel, and sabbatical leaves. Davidson faculty and students benefit from small class sizes at all levels. A collegial, respectful atmosphere honors academic achievement and integrity, upholds educational excellence, encourages student-faculty collaborative research, and prioritizes inclusive pedagogy. At Davidson College, we believe the college grows stronger by recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff committed to building an inclusive community. In order to achieve and sustain educational excellence, we seek to hire talented faculty and staff across the intersections of diverse races, ethnicities, religions and worldviews, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, political perspectives, abilities, veteran status, cultures, and national origins.

Application instructions:

Visit https://employment.davidson.edu and upload a CV and a cover letter (maximum 4 pages single-space) by Friday, October 6th, 2023; the position will remain open until filled.

A PhD in anthropology or archaeology is required by July 1, 2024.

The committee will make the first selection based on an evaluation of the potential for inclusive pedagogy, particularly decolonial theories and methods, as indicated by the cover letter. All initial applications received by October 6th are guaranteed full consideration by the search committee; however, the position will remain open to initial applications (with just a CV and Cover Letter) until closed, and the committee may also choose to review late applications, depending on the status of the search.

On or before Monday, October 16th, the committee will ask selected applicants to send additional materials by Friday, October 27th. The additional materials that may be requested by October 27th include a research statement, a writing sample, and the names of three references. Inquiries may be directed to Helen Cho, Anthropology Department Interim Chair, hecho@davidson.edu.