Erica Hill

Erica Hill, Ph.D., is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Social Sciences. She also serves as Director of Research and holds the title of President's Arctic Professor, reflecting her leadership in Arctic scholarship and research development.

• Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of New Mexico (1999)
• M.A. in Anthropology, University of New Mexico
• B.A. in Anthropology, University of Florida

Erica Hill is a broadly trained archaeologist with research interests in ancient belief systems, funerary ritual, and human–animal relations. Her work spans the Arctic, particularly Alaska and the Bering Sea region, and South America, focusing on the Moche civilization of Peru. She integrates approaches from animal geography and zooarchaeology to interpret archaeological evidence of multispecies relationships.

Her recent publications, including the co-edited volume Reimagining Human-Animal Relations in the Circumpolar North (2025), highlight a strong trend in multispecies archaeology, examining symbolic, ritual, and economic dimensions of human interactions with whales, reindeer, birds, walruses, and other animals across northern latitudes. Her research emphasizes relational ontologies, animal agency, and the cultural significance of hunting and veneration practices.

• Fulbright–NSF Arctic Research Scholar (2016–2017), University of Iceland
• President's Arctic Professor, University of Alaska Southeast

Erica Hill actively supports research development at UAS, conducting workshops and advising faculty on federal grant writing. She previously worked as a rotator at the National Science Foundation, giving her deep expertise in proposal development and funding guidelines. While specific advisees are not listed, her editorial roles and research leadership suggest significant mentorship and collaboration. She has conducted fieldwork in Alaska, Florida, the U.S. Southwest, Mexico, Peru, Honduras, and the Russian Far East, and her publications are widely accessible via ScholarWorks@UA and Academia.edu.