Britt Davis

Britt Davis is an anthropological archaeologist whose research focuses on the rise and decline of complex societies. His research interests include ceramic analysis (including Neutron Activation Analysis, petrography, and iconographic studies), social network analysis, Mesoamerican and North American archaeology, the archaeology of Southeast Asia, the archaeology of ritual and religion, and the spread and development of Buddhism. His current research uses ceramic provenance methods to reconstruct Early and Middle Preclassic Maya social and economic networks in the Belize River Valley, offering new perspectives on the emergence of social complexity in Mesoamerica. His earlier work examined the decline of the Classic Maya through analyses of peri-abandonment deposits in the same region, with particular emphasis on ceramic forms and iconography. More recently, he completed a study of three bronze Thai Buddha statuettes using MicroCT analysis to investigate their manufacturing techniques and to explore the broader historical, archaeological, and technological contexts of bronze Buddhist statuary in Thailand. In addition to his academic research, Britt has directed archaeological surveys and excavations for Cultural Resource Management projects in the U.S. Southwest and Southeast. He is currently a special advisor for Mesoamerican archaeology at the Latin American Cultural Center, in Pittsburgh, PA.

Courses

Cultural Resource Management (ANTH 1541)

Pots and People (ANTH 1547)