Associate Professor
Areas of Interest/Research
Historical archaeology (19th/20th century), African diaspora, mortuary studies, folk beliefs
Within the field of Anthropology, my specialization is archaeology, chiefly historical archaeology of the 19th and 20th centuries. I have two co-equal foci or expertise within historical archaeology: historic mortuary archaeology/bioarchaeology, and African Diaspora Studies. My archaeological research focuses on documenting hitherto unknown aspects of the African-American experience before and after Emancipation, through the exploration of historic cemeteries, plantations and other contexts.
Archaeology offers the tools to explore hidden aspects of this past. For minority groups in this country, like enslaved Africans and their descendants, their lives are poorly documented at best, and at worst all but unknown to us. Archaeology can give us insight into the “people without history,” restoring a sense of the past and aspects of this lost legacy to their modern-day descendants.
Education
Ph.D. Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, 2004
M.A. Anthropology, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, 1999
B.A. Archaeological Studies, University of Texas at Austin, 1990
Contact Information
Email: davidson@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 294-7592
Office: Turlington Hall, Room B134
Department of Anthropology
University of Florida
P.O. Box 117305
Gainesville, FL 32611-7305
