Jason Toohey

Jason Toohey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming. He holds a B.A. from the University of California Santa Barbara (1995), an M.A. from California State University Northridge (2000), and a Ph.D. from the University of California Santa Barbara (2009). His research integrates archaeology and anthropology to examine social complexity, leadership strategies, and community organization in ancient Andean societies, with fieldwork concentrated in Peru’s Cajamarca region since 2003.

Dr. Toohey investigates these themes through multidisciplinary approaches including analysis of built environments, ceramic production, exchange systems, and culinary practices. He is developing new research on Holocene coastal Peruvian faunal materials to address contemporary conservation challenges related to fisheries, climate change, and social dynamics. His scholarly interests span archaeology, cultural anthropology, environmental adaptation, and pre-Columbian studies.

He teaches courses including Introduction to Archaeology, World Archaeology, Prehistory of South America, Archaeological Field School in Peru, Maya/Aztec/Inca civilizations, Origins of the State, and Archaeological Theory and Method.

Recent publications demonstrate his focus on Late Intermediate Period Peru, addressing ceramic exchange networks, mortuary practices, spatial organization, and cultural continuity. His work frequently employs compositional analysis and ethnohistorical reconciliation to reconstruct pre-Hispanic social dynamics.