Peter R. Mills

Dr. Peter R. Mills is a Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Heritage Management MA Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He has been teaching since 1997 and received the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2001). He holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont (1984), an M.A. from Washington State University (1987), and a Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley (dissertation on Hawaiian-Russian Fort Pāʻulaʻula). His research focuses on non-destructive sourcing of Polynesian stone tools, historical archaeology of Hawaiian ranching, and geoarchaeology. He collaborates with Dr. Steve Lundblad using EDXRF technology, supported by an NSF grant (2004). He led the UH Hilo MA in Heritage Management program since its inception in 2015, now permanently established to train local communities in applied archaeology and cultural impact assessment.

Research Highlights: Mills pioneered studies on Hawaiian-Russian colonial interactions (e.g., his 2002 book Hawaiʻi's Russian Adventure). He investigates ranching sites in Humuʻula and Keanakolu, exploring paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) cultural fusion. His work addresses globalized economies' impacts on 19th-century Hawaiʻi and decolonizing heritage management practices. He has held leadership roles in the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology, Paniolo Preservation Society, and other heritage boards.

Publications span archaeometric analyses, historical reconstructions, and methodological innovations. Awards include the 2022 Public Archaeology Award from the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology. His Geoarchaeology Lab at UH Hilo supports student research, field schools, and community engagement. Grants include NSF funding for volcanic artifact studies and collaborative projects with Nevada’s University. Students supervised include those marked with # in publications, contributing to regional archaeological knowledge.