John Millhauser

John Millhauser is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Programs for Anthropology at North Carolina State University's Department of Sociology and Anthropology. His research focuses on the material and cultural dimensions of economies, particularly in Mesoamerica and historical African American communities. He holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University (2012), M.A. from Arizona State University (1999), and B.A. from Brown University (1995).

Millhauser’s work combines archaeology, historical records, and scientific methods to study economic systems, resource management, and environmental interactions. His projects include investigations of Aztec and Spanish imperial economies, salt production in colonial Mexico, and the cultural significance of commodities like obsidian and cotton. He also leads community-based archaeology initiatives, such as the Oberlin Cemetery Project, which documents African American heritage in Raleigh, North Carolina.

As a specialist in archaeometry, he uses XRF spectrometry to analyze artifacts, collaborating on projects across Mexico, Guatemala, and the U.S. He co-manages the Archaeology Lab’s XRF instrument and serves as a series editor for Cambridge University Press’s Elements in Anthropological Archaeology. His recent research explores climate change impacts on cultural landscapes and decolonizing conservation practices.