James Margotta

BA Anthropology, Wheaton College

James is a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University focusing on archaeological and cultural heritage studies of the American Southwest. He graduated with honors in 2021 from Wheaton College (MA) with a BA in Anthropology. Through several avenues, James has gained research experience in the American Southwest, participating in several research projects and even conducting his own work on the cultural and archaeological heritage of the region in the form of a senior honors thesis on the United States Forest Service. He now plans to conduct research on the southernmost parts of the Southwest, exploring the dynamics between several past groups in the late Precontact period, such as the Animas phase and eastern Salado phenomenon. Of particular interest is networks of exchange, material culture, iconography, and the present-day interpretation of indigenous archaeology. At SMU, James will be working as a graduate curator in the school's Archaeological Research Collections.

Entered program in 2021

Region of Study:
The American Southwest