Lisa Overholtzer

Lisa Overholtzer is an Associate Professor and William Dawson Scholar in the Department of Anthropology at McGill University. She directs the Household Archaeology Laboratory, focusing on everyday material practices of ordinary people in Postclassic and Colonial Central Mexico. Her current research centers on the community-engaged household archaeology project at Tepeticpac, Tlaxcala, supported by a SSHRC Insight Grant. She previously led an Indigenous archaeology project at Xaltocan, Mexico.

Her education includes a Ph.D. from Northwestern University (2012). Her research integrates social theory with scientific methods, emphasizing household production, social identities (gender, race, class), and ethical archaeology practices. She advocates for inclusive archaeology through collaboration with descendant communities.

Key awards include the William Dawson Scholar distinction. She actively mentors graduate students in Mesoamerican archaeology and methodological innovation. Her lab work bridges archaeological theory and science, using Bayesian modeling, geochemical analysis, and ceramic studies to explore materiality and social memory.

Her projects emphasize decolonizing methodologies and ethical engagement, particularly in Mexico and Canada. She has pioneered collaborative frameworks like the Field Crew Symposium to democratize archaeological practice.