Rubén G Mendoza

Rubén G Mendoza is a Professor in the Department of Social Sciences and Global Studies at California State University, Monterey Bay, where he is a founding faculty member. His research focuses on archaeology, pre-Columbian and colonial material cultures, and California missions' art/architecture. He has led major archaeological projects at missions like San Juan Bautista and the Royal Presidio of Monterey, discovering significant historical sites such as early Christian chapels dating to 1770-1771. His Mission Solstice Survey revealed astronomical alignments in mission church altars across California and Mesoamerica.

Notable research interests include American Indian science/technology, Mesoamerican urbanism, and colonial social networks. His publications span 75 manuscripts with prestigious presses like Oxford and Cambridge University Press. He co-edited influential volumes on indigenous warfare and ritual violence in North and Latin America.

His work bridges archaeology with preservation, emphasizing multiethnic interactions and indigenous agency. Collaborations include the California Missions Foundation and projects documenting traditional technologies of California's mission era.