معرفی
Michael E. Smith is a Professor at Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change. His research focuses on Mesoamerican archaeology, particularly the Aztecs, Teotihuacan, and comparative urbanism. He holds affiliations with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and leads projects like the Teotihuacan Mapping Project. Educated at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Ph.D., 1983), he has authored over seven books and numerous articles on Aztec society and urban development.
His research explores urban universals, social inequality, and ancient economies. Key themes include household archaeology, transdisciplinary urban studies, and applying archaeological insights to modern urban challenges. Smith has received accolades such as the Zebulon Pearce Teaching Award and the Catherine Bauer Wurster Prize.
Recent publications emphasize urban sustainability, spatial inequality in ancient cities, and the legacy of Aztec urban planning. He collaborates with institutions like the Santa Fe Institute to analyze urban scaling laws. His work bridges archaeology with contemporary urban studies, advocating for rigorous, transdisciplinary approaches.
Smith teaches courses on Mesoamerican archaeology, comparative urbanism, and archaeological theory. He advises students and administers grants from the National Science Foundation, focusing on urbanization and inequality in premodern societies. His research teams include the Social Reactors Project and the Calixtlahuaca Archaeological Project.
