Deborah L. Huntley, Preservation Archaeologist

Deborah L. Huntley joined the Center for Desert Archaeology in September, 2007. While her expertise is in Southwestern prehistory, particularly ceramic studies, she has been involved in a wide variety of archaeological research projects in Arizona, New Mexico, southern California, and even Germany.

Deb completed her undergraduate studies in Anthropology at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1991. She received her Master's degree in 1995 (in Anthropology and Museum Studies) and her Doctoral degree in Anthropology in 2004, both from Arizona State University. She worked for several years in Cultural Resource Management in San Diego, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She also has taught Anthropology courses at several Arizona and New Mexico community colleges.

Deb's dissertation research focused on the organization of ceramic production and exchange in the Zuni region of west-central New Mexico. Using chemical compositional analyses of ceramic pastes and glaze paints, she documented patterns of resource use, information sharing, and alliance formation among residents of several large, apartment-like nucleated pueblos occupied during the late 1200s through 1300s. Her broader research interests include late prehistoric socio-political organization, prehistoric technology and the transfer of knowledge (especially related to pottery production), migration and long-distance interaction, and interpreting archaeology for the public. In her new role as Preservation Archaeologist, Deb hopes her diverse research and teaching experiences will contribute to the Center's current research focus on late prehistoric demographic reorganization, as well as the Center's mission to promote public involvement in archaeology and cultural resource preservation.

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