Paul A. Shackel

Paul A. Shackel is an Affiliate Professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, with a primary affiliation in the Department of Anthropology (ANTH). His research focuses on historical archaeology, labor history, and heritage studies, with a particular emphasis on marginalized communities and industrial landscapes. Shackel’s work bridges academic scholarship with public engagement, addressing themes like structural violence, memory politics, and community representation.

He holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and has conducted extensive fieldwork in Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal regions, examining labor conflicts, mining trauma, and ethnic divides. His research methodologies include oral history digitization, text mining, and archaeological surveys of industrial sites like Eckley Miners’ Village and the Lattimer Massacre site. Shackel has also explored cultural heritage in contexts such as Cuba, Greenland, and Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park.

Shackel’s articles critically address topics like unchecked capitalism in industrial regions, the transgenerational impacts of structural violence, and the role of museums in negotiating contested histories. He advocates for heritage practices that center marginalized voices and foster social justice. Recent projects include studies on New Philadelphia, an early multiracial townsite in Illinois, and the Rosewood Massacre, emphasizing intersectional violence and collective memory.

His work has contributed to public benefits through heritage preservation initiatives, civic engagement programs, and archaeological tourism frameworks that promote peacebuilding and cultural understanding.