Desert Archaeology has a permanent staff of 40 employees with an average tenure of 10 years with the company. This depth of experience creates an environment suited to the development of methodological and research specializations.
Professional staff includes 16 project directors with a broad range of experience. We have also developed analytical specializations in ceramics, flaked stone, ground stone, animal bone, paleobotanical analyses, and petrographic sourcing of ceramic temper.
Click here for an email list of Desert Archaeology, Inc. staff in PDF format.
President
William H. Doelle (PhD University of Arizona 1980) Prehistoric archaeology,
ethnohistory, public archaeology, demography; Southwest United States,
North America. Since 1982.
Operations Director
Patricia Castalia (MA Arizona State University 1975) Contract archaeology,
prehistoric settlement patterns, spatial analysis; Southwest United States.
Since 1989.
Project Directors
Elizabeth S. Bagwell (PhD University of New Mexico 2007) Prehistoric archaeology,
architectural production, spatial analysis, craft specialization, tree-ring sampling,
structural uses of wood; Southwest United States, Northwest Mexico. Since 2007.
Michael L. Brack (MA Wichita State University 1999) Ceramic analysis, GIS/CAD, cartography, spatial analysis, environmental adaptation, Plains ethnology; American Southwest, Northern Mexico, Great Plains, Caddoan. Since 2000.
Tiffany C. Clark (MA Arizona State University 1997) Ceramic production and exchange; Southwest United States. Since 2000.
Patricia Cook (PhD University Arizona 1997) Prehistoric archaeology, settlement patterns, household archaeology, gender studies; Southwest United States, Mesoamerica. Since 1998.
Allison Cohen Diehl (MA Arizona State University 1995) Historical archaeology; North America. Since 1998.
Mark D. Elson (PhD University of Arizona 1996) Prehistoric archaeology, settlement pattern analysis, ethnographic studies; Southwest United States, Latin America. Since 1984.
Susan D. Hall (MA Northern Arizona University 1992) Prehistoric archaeology, ceramic and architectural studies; Southwest United States. Since 1995.
T. Kathleen Henderson (PhD Arizona State University 1986) Prehistoric archaeology, settlement and social organization, chronology; Southwest United States. Since 1999.
Sarah Herr (PhD University of Arizona 1999) Ceramic analysis, integrative architecture, regional organization, frontiers; Southwest United States. Since 1995.
Michael Lindeman (PhD Arizona State University 2006) Prehistoric archaeology, pithouse architecture; Southwest United States, Mesoamerica. Since 1991.
Ellen Ruble (MA Northern Arizona University 1996) Prehistoric archaeology, regional exchange; Southwest United States, Southeastern United States; Mesoamerica. Since 1998.
Deborah L. Swartz (BA University of Arizona 1979) Prehistoric archaeology, field methods; Southwest United States. Since 1984.
J. Homer Thiel (MA Arizona State University 1992) Historic archaeology, genealogy, faunal analysis; Southwest United States. Since 1992.
Henry D. Wallace (MA University of Arizona 1980) Prehistoric and protohistoric archaeology, ceramic studies, iconography; Southwest United States, Northern Mexico. Since 1983.
Gregory J. Whitney (BA University of Georgia 1994) Prehistoric archaeology, cartography; Southwest United States. Since 1999.
Helga Wöcherl (PhD University of Arizona 1997) Subsistence-settlement research, site structure, extramural space, resource ecology; Southwest United States, Western Europe. Since 1992.
Analysis Specialists
Jenny L. Adams (PhD University of Arizona 1994; Ground Stone Specialist)
Prehistoric archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, experimentation, use-wear analysis;
Southwest United States. Since 1995.
Michael W. Diehl (PhD State University New York-Buffalo 1994; Paleobotanical Specialist) Paleoethnobotany, human ecology, social change and complex adaptive systems; Greater Southwest. Since 1998.
James M. Heidke (BA University of Illinois 1981; Research Ceramicist) Ceramic analysis, ceramic petrography and provenience studies, quantitative methods; Southwest United States. Since 1984.
Carlos Lavayen (BA University of San Simon 1995; Assistant Petrologist) Petrography, optical minerology, geostatistics, research methods; South America. Since 2001.
Melissa Markel (MA Northern Arizona University, 2004; Ceramic Assistant) Southwestern Archaeology, Ceramic Analysis, Iconography, Historic Preservation; Southwest United States and Western United States. Since 2007.
Stacy Ryan (BA Buffalo State University 1995; Lithic Analyst) Prehistoric archaeology, historic archaeology, lithic technology; Southwest United States. Since 2001.
R. Jane Sliva (MA University of Illinois-Chicago 1992; Lithic Specialist) Prehistoric archaeology, lithic technology, microwear analysis; Southwest United States. Since 1994.
Jennifer A. Waters (MA Arizona State University 1995; Faunal Specialist) Early Agriculture, hunter-gatherers, historical archaeology; Southwest United States. Since 1996.
Laboratory Director
Lisa G. Eppley (BA Appalachian State 1979) Prehistoric archaeology, lithic
analysis, curation, repatriation; Southwest United States. Since 1984.
Information Systems
Theodore J. Oliver (BA University of North Dakota 1990; Database Administrator)
Prehistoric archaeology, database development, GIS, spatial analysis;
Southwest United States. Since 1999.
Support Staff
Rob Ciaccio, Drafting
Connie Darby, Crew Chief
Donna Doolittle, Word Processor
Catherine Gilman, Mapping
Jason W. Hastings, Field and Office Support
Val M. Hintze, Reception, production
Jean Kramer, Office Manager
Sara Lely, Database Assistant
Andrea Mathews, Word Processor
Emilee M. Mead, Publications Director
Stacy Ryan, General Research Support
Brandon Theis, Systems Administrator
Tyler Theriot, Mapping
Partners
Southwest Petrographic Specialists, Inc.
Desert Archaeology staff members work closely with Dr. Elizabeth Miksa of Southwest
Petrographic Specialists, Inc. Dr. Miksa is a former Desert Archaeology employee and
worked closely with James Heidke and Carlos Lavayen on development of petrofacies
analysis of sand-tempered pottery from southern and central Arizona. We continue to
collaborate on projects and on the advancement of ceramic petrography as a productive
research method. View the Southwest Petrographic Specialists
website at: www.swpetrographic.com.
Quality Thin Sections, Inc. prepares high quality polished and thin sections.
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