Gregson Schachner

Gregson Schachner is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), affiliated with the College of Social Sciences and the Department of Anthropology. His research focuses on North American archaeology with an emphasis on population movement, village origins, settlement systems, and the social context of archaeological practice in the American Southwest. He holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University (2007).

• Education:
• Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2007

His research integrates geoarchaeological methods, ceramic analysis, and tribal engagement to explore prehistoric social organization, climate impacts, and cultural transitions. Recent work includes studies on Pueblo Bonito, Wallace Tank Pueblo, and tribal collaboration with Hopi communities. He has published extensively on topics such as the Neolithic transition, settlement patterns, and comparative studies between Near Eastern and Southwestern sites.

Notable contributions include Becoming Hopi: A History (2021, co-edited) and Population Circulation and the Transformation of Ancient Zuni Communities (2012). His articles analyze environmental factors, demographic shifts, and cultural exceptionalism in prehistoric societies.

He has collaborated with institutions like the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and contributed to projects in Petrified Forest National Park. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, blending archaeology with climatology and indigenous perspectives.