Education
Ph.D., Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin
M.Sc., Departamento de Antropología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC)
B.A., Escuela de Antropología, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV)
I am a historical archaeologist interested in the study of colonization processes in Latin America founded on theories about materiality and agency from a postcolonial perspective. My research addresses questions about the differential impact of European commodities on local communities, and the political, economic, social, and symbolic repercussions triggered by the adoption of foreign materials and technologies. In this line of research, I have conducted multidisciplinary projects in Venezuela and Panama analyzing the role of metals and ceramics in the colonization of both regions. The combination of archaeometric, archaeological, and ethnohistorical methods have allowed me to approach processes of social and cultural entanglement, the roles of productive activities in the reorganization of colonial societies, and the emergence of new communities of practice. My work also includes discussions about heritage, indigeneity, and nationalism based on collaborations with Venezuelan indigenous and rural communities in the field of heritage policy.
Research interests include historical archaeology, material culture, technology, colonialism and postcolonialism, communities of practice, cultural heritage, indigeneity, metals and ceramics; Venezuela and Panama.
Recent Courses
Secrets in Clay: Introduction to Ceramic Analysis in Archaeology
Historical Archaeology of Latin America