Cheryl P. Claassen

Dr. Cheryl P. Claassen is a Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Appalachian State University. She holds the title of Professor Emerita, reflecting her long-standing contributions to the field. Her research focuses on archaeology, particularly shell studies, gender in prehistory, and ritual practices in Eastern North America and Mexico. She earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University (1982) and a B.A. from the University of Arkansas (1975).

Dr. Claassen's work explores topics including the sociology of archaeology, symbolism in material culture, and the role of gender in prehistoric societies. She has conducted significant research on shell middens, ritual sites, and the transfer of religious practices post-Columbian contact in Mexico. Her book Religion in Sixteenth-Century Mexico (2023) examines the synthesis of Aztec and Catholic beliefs. She has also authored influential works on gender in archaeology, such as Gender in the Prehistory of the Eastern United States (2014).

She has been recognized with the Donald W. Sink Family Outstanding Scholar Award (2010) from the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research integrates fieldwork, historical analysis, and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding ritual landscapes and prehistoric communities. Dr. Claassen’s teaching spans courses on Mesoamerican cultures, archaeological theory, and North American indigenous studies.