Julie A. Hoggarth

Julie A. Hoggarth, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology within Baylor University's College of Arts & Sciences. Her research integrates archaeology, climatology, and history to investigate ancient Maya societal dynamics.

Research Focus: Dr. Hoggarth specializes in Maya archaeology with emphasis on climate change impacts, societal collapse mechanisms, environmental archaeology, and radiocarbon dating methodologies. Her interdisciplinary approach examines human-environmental relationships across the Classic to Colonial periods in the Maya Lowlands.

Key Projects:

• National Science Foundation-funded lake core vegetation reconstructions in the Belize River Valley
• Baylor Environmental Archaeology & Radiocarbon (BEAR) Lab leadership
• BVAR Field School in Belize for archaeological training
• Mesoamerican Radiocarbon Database (MesoRAD) curation

Publication Trends: Recent work (2021-2023) demonstrates concentrated research on Maya political organization, peri-abandonment deposits, drought-induced societal stress, and methodological advances in chronological modeling. Her publications frequently address land use patterns, settlement hierarchies, and climate-society interactions through interdisciplinary datasets.

Academic Leadership:

• Mentors PhD students in Maya archaeology and environmental studies
• Co-directs Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) Project
• Integrates field school training with laboratory analysis (BEAR Lab)
• Develops curricula emphasizing critical thinking through archaeological datasets

Teaching Philosophy: Dr. Hoggarth emphasizes practical archaeological skills, quantitative methods, and cross-disciplinary analysis. Her courses include Introduction to Archaeology, Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica, and Environmental Archaeology, with field experience available through the Belize field school.