Sarah Kennedy

Sarah Kennedy is an Assistant Professor of Archaeology & Latin American Studies at Carleton College, where she has been teaching since 2021. She holds a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA from the University of Florida, and a BA from the University of Wyoming.

Dr. Kennedy is an anthropological archaeologist specializing in Andean South America, with research focused on marginalized labor, power dynamics, social identity, and foodways practices in colonial Peru. Her work primarily examines the effects of Spanish enforced colonial policies such as tribute (taxes) and forced resettlement (reducción) of native populations. In 2017, she founded the Trapiche Archaeology Project to study colonial mining labor in Puno, Peru, excavating isolated work camps where indigenous laborers were forced to work for the Spanish colonial government.

Her research demonstrates how indigenous populations adapted to colonial pressures, particularly through changes in food practices and subsistence strategies. Analysis of zooarchaeological remains reveals how communities incorporated Eurasian animals into their diets while maintaining certain traditional foodways. Her work on silver refineries examines spatial layouts to understand power dynamics and labor control in colonial contexts.

• Robert A. Oden, Jr. Postdoctoral Fellow for Innovation in the Humanities and Archeology

Dr. Kennedy teaches courses on archaeological methods, North and South American archaeology, labor and coercion, ancient urbanism, and food/cuisine. Current courses include Archaeological Methods & Lab, Independent Research, Ancient People of the Andes, Archaeology of Native North America, and Eating the Americas: 5,000 Years of Food. She directs the CARCAS Lab and maintains active archaeological fieldwork in Peru, with a commitment to communicating research through multiple channels including GIS, 3-D artifact modeling, and 3-D printing.