Neil Norman

Neil Norman is a Professor of Anthropology at the College of William & Mary's Department of Anthropology, part of the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on African archaeology and the African Diaspora, with emphasis on West African urbanization, transatlantic slavery, and Djibouti's prehistory. He has conducted fieldwork in Benin, Nigeria, and Zanzibar, examining topics like the Clotilda survivors' resettlement in Alabama and monumental earthen architectures.

• Education:
• BA in Anthropology and History, Flagler College (1996)
• MA in Historical Archaeology, University of South Carolina (2000)
• PhD in Anthropology, University of Virginia (2008)

Research interests include urban systems in precolonial Africa, diasporic cultural resilience, and archaeological theory. He has directed projects on Benin's Ouidah port city and Zanzibar's Swahili-period settlements. Norman chairs doctoral committees at multiple institutions and teaches courses on African archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, and cultural heritage preservation.

He currently oversees PhD candidates at Virginia Museum of Natural History, Washington University, and international programs. Norman's work bridges historical and archaeological methodologies to study systemic exploitation and resilience in global contexts.