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UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON

  1. Institution Name:
    University of Massachusetts Boston
  2. Department Title:
    Anthropology (Degree: M.A. in Historical Archaeology)
  3. Faculty in Historical Archaeology and Anthropology:
    1. Balanzátegui, Daniela (Ph.D., Simon Fraser University 2017; Asst. Prof.) historical archaeology, African Diaspora, community archaeology, gender, critical heritage studies, Latin America, Ecuador.
    2. Beranek, Christa (Ph.D., Boston University 2007; Res. Scientist I; Fiske Ctr. for Archaeological Research) historical archaeology, material culture, vernacular architecture, North America, eastern U.S.
    3. Bolender, Douglas (Ph.D. Northwestern University 2006; Research Asst. Prof.) landscape archaeology, Viking Age archaeology, Geographic Information Systems, Iceland, Greenland, Europe.
    4. Landon, David B. (Ph.D., Boston University 1991; Sr. Scientist, Assoc. Dir., Fiske Ctr. for Archaeological Research; Grad. Prog. Dir.) historical archaeology, zooarchaeology, environmental archaeology, industrial archaeology, North America, eastern U.S.
    5. Lee, Nedra (Ph.D., University of Texas 2014; Asst. Prof.) historical archaeology, African Diaspora, Critical Race Theory, oral history, community archaeology, North America, Texas, New England
    6. Mrozowski, Stephen A. (Ph.D., Brown University 1987; Prof.; Dir. Fiske Ctr. for Archaeological Research) historical archaeology, urban archaeology, environmental archaeology, industrial archaeology, historical anthropology, North America, eastern U.S., northern Britain.
    7. Silliman, Stephen W. (Ph.D., UC-Berkeley 2000; Prof.; Dept. Chair) historical archaeology, colonialism, Native American history, indigenous archaeology, critical heritage studies, community archaeology, North America, eastern U.S., California.
    8. Steinberg, John M. (Ph.D., UCLA 1997; Res. Scientist II, Fiske Ctr. for Archaeological Research) colonization, complex societies, economic anthropology, remote sensing, Europe, Iceland.
    9. Trigg, Heather B. (Ph.D., University of Michigan 1999; Res. Scientist II, Fiske Ctr. for Archaeological Research) prehistoric and historical archaeology, colonialism, paleoethnobotany, North America, Southwest, eastern U.S.
  4. General Statement:
    The Department of Anthropology offers an M.A. program in historical archaeology. The program’s curriculum and research projects pay special attention to comparative colonialism, indigenous issues, African Diaspora, urbanization, industrialization, environmental archaeology, material culture analysis, spatial analysis and landscapes, contemporary politics, heritage management and tourism, and public, applied, and community archaeology. The diverse but focused coursework, large number of historical archaeologists on the faculty, high research profile in grants and publications, and fundamental role played by the on-campus Andrew J. Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research ensure that students receive solid training in both theory and method and have the opportunity to participate in ongoing field, laboratory, and museum research. Students can also receive specialized training in paleoethnobotany, zooarchaeology, GIS, and materials conservation. The graduate program is designed for students interested in receiving a comprehensive and competitive master’s degree before pursuing a doctorate and for those interested in successful careers in CRM, museums, agencies, and non-profit organizations. To achieve these goals, the program offers close mentoring and seeks a diverse student body. Main areal concentrations include North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the North Atlantic with subarea specialties in the northeastern U.S., the American Southwest, the Chesapeake, California, Texas, Ecuador, Iceland, and Greenland. Students take three required sources and five electives, participate in graduate-level field research, and complete a master’s thesis. In addition to active projects undertaken by faculty and staff, including at least two annual field schools in the northeastern U.S., research opportunities are available with several area museums and agencies, including Plimoth Plantation, Boston Archaeology Laboratory, Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and Strawberry Banke. Generous graduate assistantships are available that carry tuition waivers and stipends. The program’s “Graduate Handbook” has more detail, and the most recent version is always available in digital form on the Department of Anthropology website listed below.
  5.  For More Information Contact:
    David Landon, Graduate Program Director, Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125-3393 USA; david.landon@umb.edu; phone: 617-287-6835; fax: 617-287-6857; department web site http://www.umb.edu/academics/cla/anthropology/grad/ma