Katherine Grillo

Katherine Grillo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida, holding the Colonel Allen R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professorship (2024-2027). She serves as General Editor for the Journal of African Archaeology and is affiliated with the Center for African Studies.

• Ph.D. (2012), Washington University in St. Louis
• M.A. (2006), Washington University in St. Louis
• B.A. (2002), University of Virginia

Her research focuses on the materiality of cattle-based pastoralism in eastern Africa, examining ceramic technologies and mobile pastoralist repertoires through time. Current projects include co-directing NSF-funded studies at Turkana Basin 'pillar sites' and Luxmanda, Tanzania, the largest Pastoral Neolithic settlement site. Her interdisciplinary work on pastoralist foodways revealed evidence for the earliest dairy processing in eastern Africa and its implications for lactase persistence origins.

Recent publications demonstrate expertise in climate change resilience, material culture analysis, and geophysical survey techniques. Grillo also leads the African Archaeology Lab at UF, engaging in public archaeology initiatives like Wikipedia outreach. Awards include the Crow Term Professorship recognizing her innovative contributions to African archaeology and anthropology.

• Colonel Allen R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professor (2024-2027)