Tamara Spike

Tamara Spike, Ph.D., currently serves as the Department Head of the University of North Georgia's Department of History, Anthropology & Philosophy. She teaches courses such as Latin American History, Mexican History, and Gender in Latin America, with a focus on indigenous peoples and colonialism.

• Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in History from Florida State University (2006 and 2002), B.A. in Anthropology & Classical Archaeology from Florida State University (1993)
• Research: Specializes in Timucuan Indian cultural reconstruction in Spanish Florida and historical demography through the Guadalajara Census Project (1791-1930)
• Experience: Led the NEH-funded Guadalajara Census Project (1999-2010), worked as a Florida contract archaeologist in the 1990s

Her publications explore Timucuan death rituals, colonial labor systems in Florida, and Mexican household structures compared to Laslett's European models. The articles reflect interdisciplinary approaches combining history, anthropology, and demographic analysis. Spike's work bridges academic research with practical teaching, offering courses on Caribbean history, Native American studies, and U.S./Latin American relations.

She can be reached at tamara.spike@ung.edu or 706-864-1912 in Barnes Hall 319, Dahlonega campus.