Women in Archaeology (eBook)

This book tells the story of women in archaeology worldwide and their dedication to advancing knowledge and human understanding. In their own voices, they present themselves as archaeologists working in academia or the private and public sector across 33 countries. The chapters in this volume reconstruct the history of archaeology while honoring those female scholars and their pivotal research who are no longer with us.

Many scholars in this volume fiercely explore non-traditional research areas in archaeology. The chapters bear witness to their valuable and unique contributions to reconstructing the past through innovative theoretical and methodological approaches. In doing so, they share the inherent difficulties of practicing archaeology, not only because they, too, are mothers, sisters, and wives but also because of the context in which they are writing. This volume may interest researchers in archaeology, history of science, gender studies, and feminist theory.

Chapter 11 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Prof. Dr. Sandra L. López Varela (Ph.D. in Archaeology, University of London, 1996) is full-time Professor at the Department of Development and Intercultural Heritage Management of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA 15480).

López Varela was Secretary of the Archaeology Division of the AAA and section editor of Anthropology News (2018-2020). After serving as President and Vice President of the Society for Archaeological Sciences (SAS 2009-2011) and as President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Alumni Club-Mexico Division (2008-2010, she was elected to the Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association (AAA), holding the Archaeology Seat (2012-2014). In between 2015 and 2017, she served as Treasurer of the Mexican Society of Anthropology (SMA). Since 2019, López Varela serves as Brain City of Berlin Ambassador.

Prof. López Varela's earlier research, focusing on the study of Maya ceramics and ethnoarchaeological investigations of pottery production technologies, led her to adopt a critical and analytical stance toward economic and development growth policies to combat poverty in Mexico. Results from her investigations received the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel-Forschungspreis Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 2012.

Since 2015, she is the principal investigator of the research project Alternative Mexico, an innovative heritage project aiming to promote the preservation of Mexico City's heritage and its metropolitan area, in collaboration with the public, by using a free mobile application (App) for iOS and Android devices, a website, and social media.