Erin P Riggs

Erin P. Riggs is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on historical and contemporary archaeology, particularly the material negotiations of national belonging in post-colonial contexts. She specializes in refugee resettlement dynamics following the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan, exploring how displaced communities engaged with built environments and policy frameworks.

Her work integrates archaeological surveys, oral histories, and archival research to challenge assumptions about aid dependency and national identity. Recent projects include an edited volume on historical archaeology in South Asia and collaborations with scholars across nine countries. Riggs teaches courses on archaeological theory, South Asian heritage, and contemporary archaeological practices.

Her publications analyze Delhi’s post-Partition housing colonies, colonial architectural legacies, and the socio-political dimensions of material culture. Current research extends to Kolkata’s resettlement patterns and cross-cultural migrant studies.