Karen Harry

Karen Harry is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), specializing in ceramic technology, Southwestern archaeology, and prehistoric trade networks. She joined UNLV in 2001 and has secured over $1.6 million in external funding, supporting student research and fieldwork.

Her education includes a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona (1997). Her research focuses on ceramic production and exchange among prehistoric populations, particularly in the Grand Canyon National Monument and Lake Mead regions. She also investigates Arctic ceramic technologies and hunter-gatherer-farmer interactions in Southern Nevada.

Research interests include experimental archaeology, chemical compositional analysis of ceramics, and the socio-political dimensions of craft specialization. Key themes in her work address how material culture reflects social identity, migration patterns, and environmental adaptation.

Publications span peer-reviewed journals like American Anthropologist and American Antiquity, with a focus on ceramic production systems, settlement patterns, and cross-cultural comparisons. Her work often integrates experimental methods to reconstruct prehistoric technological choices.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Southwestern Archaeology and Ceramics Lab at UNLV. Collaborates with institutions on interdisciplinary archaeological projects, including 3D modeling of ancient structures and material science analyses.