Alexander J. Smith

Alexander J. Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at SUNY Brockport. His research focuses on historical archaeology, with specializations in survey/landscape archaeology, GIS, and colonial dynamics in the Mediterranean and North America. He directs the Frost Town Archaeology project, excavating a 19th-century logging settlement in Naples, New York, and co-directs the Menorca Archaeological Project in Spain. Smith actively collaborates with institutions like the Rochester Museum and Science Center and the Memorial Art Gallery.

• Education:
• PhD, Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Brown University (2015)
• B.A. (summa cum laude) in Anthropology and Classical Archaeology/Ancient History, Brandeis University (2009)

Research emphasizes colonialism’s impact on material culture and environmental history. The Frost Town project explores logging communities’ adaptation to ecological collapse, while Menorca work investigates medieval Islamic households. Recent grants include ACLS support for public engagement (2022–2023).

• Awards: ACLS Sustaining Public Engagement Grant (2022)

Field schools (e.g., 2019 and 2022 Frost Town seasons) train students in archaeological methods. Public outreach includes exhibits like the 2023 Frost Town Symposium and collaborations with the Cumming Nature Center.