Christopher Schwartz

Christopher Schwartz is an anthropological archaeologist and cultural resource management professional at Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change, where he serves as Visiting Faculty. He also holds the position of City Archaeologist for the City of Phoenix and S'edav Va'aki Museum. His research focuses on the social impacts of long-distance exchange and long-term human-animal relationships in pre-Hispanic North America, with particular expertise in the US Southwest and Mexican Northwest regions.

Dr. Schwartz draws on multiple lines of evidence including faunal skeletal material, isotopic analyses, material culture, Indigenous perspectives, and spatial analyses to understand how interregional interaction and human-animal relationships led to large-scale social transformations in the past. His primary research interests encompass pre-contact archaeology of the US Southwest and Mexican Northwest, isotope biogeochemistry in archaeology, long-distance exchange and acquisition, zooarchaeology, ritual use of animals, and cultural resource management. He has made significant contributions to understanding the role of scarlet macaws in pre-Hispanic societies through his editorship of 'Birds of the Sun: Macaws and People in the US Southwest and Mexican Northwest.'

His recent publications reveal a strong interdisciplinary approach combining archaeology, biogeochemistry, and anthropological theory. Through isotopic analysis, contextual studies, and Indigenous perspectives, he has explored the origins, transportation, husbandry, and ritual significance of scarlet macaws across regional boundaries. His work demonstrates how exchange networks involving exotic animals contributed to social complexity and cultural transformations in pre-Hispanic societies of the American Southwest and Northwest Mexico.

• 2022 Book Subvention Award, Arizona Archaeological & Historical Society
• 2021 Powers Prize, Pecos Conference
• 2020 Fred Plog Memorial Fellowship, Society for American Archaeology
• 2020 Graduate Excellence Award, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, ASU
• 2019 Directorate Teaching Award, School of Human Evolution & Social Change, ASU
• 2019 Honorable Mention, Ruppé Prize in Archaeology, School of Human Evolution & Social Change, ASU

Dr. Schwartz has been actively involved in multiple research projects including as Project Co-PI for 'Scarlet Macaws, Distant Exchange, and the Establishment of Central Places in the US Southwest & Mexican Northwest' (NSF grant), Project Co-Director for the 'Connections and Impacts of Northwest Mexico Project,' and Database Manager & Zooarchaeologist for the 'La Quemada-Malpaso Valley Archaeological Project.' He serves as an ad-hoc reviewer for multiple journals and funding agencies including the National Science Foundation, American Antiquity, and Journal of Anthropological Archaeology.

As an active member of professional organizations including the Arizona Archaeological Council, Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society, Coalition for Archaeological Synthesis, and Society for American Archaeology, Dr. Schwartz contributes significantly to the archaeological community through service roles including Member-at-Large for the Arizona Archaeological Council and Committee Member for the Society for American Archaeology Program Committee.