Kelly J. Knudson
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Archaeology, University of Wisconsin at Madison
SHESC Themes: Culture, Heritage and Identity; Global Dynamics and Regional Interactions; Societies and their Natural Environments; Urban Societies
Field Specializations: Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Complex Societies, Core-Periphery Interactions, Ethnoarchaeology, Human-Environment Interaction, Identity and Differentiation, Material Science, Migration, Physical Anthropology, Quantitative Methods
Regional Focus: North America (Northwest, Southwest)
Contact: Kelly J. Knudson, SHESC 312
Research:
In her Andean Residential Mobility through Bone Chemistry project, Kelly J. Knudson combines archaeological chemistry and bioarchaeology to investigate Andean political integration and expansion during the Middle Horizon (AD 500-1000). By analyzing chemical signatures of migration in human tooth enamel and bone, she and her colleagues have elucidated the role of residential mobility in the Tiwanaku polity. She is currently examining expansion and colonization in the contemporaneous Wari polity of the Central Andes. In addition to her work with political integration and expansion, she uses bone chemistry in life history studies of individuals from the Tiwanaku and Wari polities as well as the Inka empire (AD 1400-1532). By identifying the geographic origin and life histories of individuals interred as dedicatory offerings, human sacrifices and trophy heads in the Andes, the role of ritual activity in political integration can be elucidated. Finally, she is examining the relationship between identity, geographic origin and material culture at Tiwanaku-affiliated sites.
In addition, she investigates long-term changes in subsistence behavior and human-environment interactions in western Alaska. In this research project, Alaskan Activity Area Analysis: Combining Archaeological Chemistry and Ethnoarchaeology, she is investigating changing subsistence practices at contemporary and archaeological seasonal subsistence camps with her colleague, Lisa Frink. More specifically, Knudson uses multi-element analysis of soils that have been anthropogenically altered in order to document the soil signatures of specific activities and then identify those activities in archaeological soil samples.
Knudson completed her graduate work in the Anthropology Department at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where her dissertation was entitled, "Tiwanaku Residential Mobility in the South Central Andes: Identifying Archaeological Human Migration through Strontium Isotope Analysis." In addition, she has taught archaeology and physical anthropology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the University of Wisconsin at Fond du Lac, and Ripon College.
Research Projects:
Alaskan Activity Area Analysis: Combining Archaeological Chemistry and Ethnoarchaeology
Andean Residential Mobility through Bone Chemistry
Teaching:
Knudson's transdisciplinary approach to anthropology is reflected in her approach to undergraduate and graduate teaching. Her teaching philosophy is also heavily influenced by her experiences as a liberal arts student at Beloit College and educator at Ripon College, as well as her work teaching in the University of Wisconsin system. Knudson generally teaches courses in Andean archaeology as well as archaeological chemistry, particularly bone chemistry. Her courses are academically rigorous and are designed to encourage students of a variety of backgrounds and learning styles to actively participate in their learning process. Whenever possible, she emphasizes hands-on learning experiences in archaeology and physical anthropology.
Select Publications:
Knudson, K. J. & Stojanowski, C. M. (Eds.) (2009). Bioarchaeology in the Americas. Gainesville: University of Florida Press.
Knudson, K. J. (2007). La influencia de Tiwanaku en San Pedro de Atacama: Una investigación por los isótopos del estroncio. Estudios Atacameños, 33, 7-24.
Knudson, K. J., Aufderheide, A. E. & Buikstra, J. E. (2007). Seasonality and paleodiet in the Chiribaya polity of southern Peru. Journal of Archaeological Science, 34(3), 451-462.
Knudson, K. J. & Buikstra, J. E. (2007). Residential mobility and resource use in the Chiribaya polity of southern Peru: Strontium isotope analysis of archaeological tooth enamel and bone. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 17(6), 563-580.
Knudson, K. J. & Price, T. D. (2007). The utility of multiple chemical techniques in archaeological residential mobility studies: Case studies from Tiwanaku- and Chiribaya-affiliated sites in the Andes. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 132(1):25-39.
Knudson, K. J. & Tung, T. A. (2007). Using archaeological chemistry to investigate the geographic origins of trophy heads in the central Andes: Strontium isotope analysis at the Wari site of Conchopata. In M.D. Glascock, R.J. Speakman & R.S. Popelka-Filcoff (Eds.), Archaeological chemistry: Analytical techniques and archaeological interpretation (pp. 99-113) (ACS Symposium Series Vol. 968). Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society.
Torres-Rouff, C. & Knudson, K. J. (2007). Examining the life history of an individual from Solcor 3, San Pedro de Atacama: Combining bioarchaeology and archaeological chemistry. Chungara, 39(2):235-257.
Knudson, K. J., Tung, T., Nystrom, K. C., Price, T. D. & Fullagar, P. D. (2005). The origin of the Juch'uypampa Cave mummies: Strontium isotope analysis of archaeological human remains from Bolivia. Journal of Archaeological Science 32, 903-913.
Knudson, K. J., Frink, L., Hoffman, B. W. & Price, T. D. (2004). Chemical characterization of Arctic soils: Activity area analysis in contemporary Yup'ik fish camps using ICP-AES. Journal of Archaeological Science, 31, 443-456.
Knudson, K. J., Price, T. D., Buikstra, J. E. & Blom, D. E. (2004). The use of strontium isotope analysis to investigate Tiwanaku migration and mortuary ritual in Bolivia and Peru. Archaeometry, 46(1), 5-18.
Meiggs, D. C. & Knudson, K. J. (2004). Introductory comments to special section: Resolution and refinement: Recent advances in archaeological chemistry. Archaeometry, 46(1), 1-4.
