Dela Kuma

Dela Kuma is an Assistant Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh, affiliated with the Center for African Studies. Her research focuses on African archaeology, particularly the archaeology of global encounters in Atlantic-era West Africa. She specializes in archaeometry and archaeobotanical methods to study foodways, trade, and sociocultural practices in Ghana and beyond.

• PhD in Anthropology, Northwestern University (2022)
• MSc in Archaeological Materials Science, Sapienza University of Rome & University of Évora (2016)
• B.A. in Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana (2013)

Her research examines how local communities navigated global economic shifts through practices like 'nkudzedze' (embodied taste) in Amedeka, Ghana. Key projects include the Amedeka Archaeological Project (2017–present) and studies of medieval Ile-Ife, Nigeria. She has received prestigious grants from the National Geographic Society and ACLS.

Teaching includes courses on Archaeology of Foodways, Africa & the World, and Community Archaeology. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary methods and community collaboration, highlighted in projects like the 2023 Community Archaeology Day.

• Key Awards: ACLS Fellowship (2024), Mellon International Dissertation Fellowship (2020)
• Fieldwork experience in Ghana, Nigeria, Portugal, Italy, Israel, and Russia