Paul Graf

Paul Graf is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) within the University of Bonn, Germany. His research focuses on Classic Maya Lowland communities, particularly exploring religious spaces and rural integration mechanisms through material culture analysis. He investigates asymmetrical dependencies and social organization using GIS, archaeology, and ethnoarchaeological methods.

Education:

• PhD in Anthropology of the Americas (2019–2024), University of Bonn
• M.A. in Anthropology of the Americas (2016–2019), University of Bonn
• B.A. in Ancient American Studies and Ethnology (2013–2016), University of Bonn

Research Interests: Archaeology of the Maya Lowlands, material culture studies, spatial analysis, environmental archaeology, and pre-Columbian resource management. He emphasizes integration dynamics in rural communities and the role of monumental architecture in social control.

Fieldwork: Extensive archaeological campaigns in Petén, Guatemala (Tzikin Tzakan, Tamarindito), Nicaragua (Kukra Hill), and ethnoarchaeological surveys in Guatemala’s Yaxha region. Specializes in drone-based photogrammetry, geophysical prospection, and GIS mapping.

Teaching: Taught MA seminars on material cultural studies and GIS applications in archaeology (2021–2022). Organized workshops on mapmaking for historical and archaeological research.

Awards & Grants:

• Gerda Henkel Stiftung Grant (2024) for research on rural integration in Maya communities
• PROMOS-Stipendium (2018) for fieldwork in Guatemala
• Travel and fieldwork grants from BCDSS (2019–2024)

Labs/Teams: Core member of BCDSS, contributor to international projects like Theologia Indorum, and organizer of conferences such as the 28th European Maya Conference (2023).