Sarah Newman

Sarah Newman is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Social Sciences at the University of Chicago's College and serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies. She holds a PhD from Brown University (2015). Her research integrates archaeological, historical, and art historical methods to examine themes such as waste, human-animal relationships, and long-term landscape transformations in Mesoamerica and beyond. Key projects include the Invisible Landscapes initiative, co-directed with Felipe Rojas and Eduardo Góes Neves, which explores anthropogenic landscapes through multidisciplinary collaboration. Newman’s fieldwork in Jordan investigates water management systems near Petra, while her Maya-focused studies address zooarchaeology, sensory experiences, and knowledge systems.

Her monograph Unmaking Waste: New Histories of Old Things (2023) redefines waste as a culturally contingent concept, challenging Eurocentric narratives through cross-cultural comparisons. A current book project, Animal Archaeology, extends archaeological methodologies to non-human histories. Newman’s affiliations include the Committee on Environment, Geography, and Urbanization, the Institute for the Formation of Knowledge, and the Center for Latin American Studies.

Publications span topics from Classic Maya animal categories to Neolithic sites in Jordan. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, including remote sensing and 3D imaging technologies. Recent research explores sensory archaeology, particularly olfactory practices in Mesoamerica, and critiques traditional archaeological frameworks through comparative global perspectives.