Erin Paige Riggs

Erin Paige Riggs serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Illinois, specializing in the archaeology of displacement and cultural transformation in South Asia.

Her research spans Archaeology of the Contemporary World, Migration Studies, and Material Culture, with concentrated focus on the 1947 Partition of India. Riggs examines how refugees materially constructed identities through homescapes in Delhi, analyzing Punjabi, Bengali, and NWFP-ness expressions among displaced communities using interdisciplinary archaeological methods.

Recent publications reveal consistent thematic trends: material production of cultural difference during migration, post-displacement resettlement patterns, and colonial durabilities in Indian contexts. Her work bridges archaeological analysis with literary and historical sources to decode material dimensions of inequality and identity formation.

Scientific recognition includes:

• NEH Fellowship (2023)

Riggs' NEH Fellowship supported groundbreaking research on Partition refugee homescapes, resulting in significant scholarly impact including a Routledge monograph and multiple high-impact journal articles. Her work has garnered international attention with citations in Wikipedia and substantial Mendeley readership, demonstrating influence across anthropology and South Asian studies.