Vincent M. LaMotta

Vincent M. LaMotta is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), housed within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He holds a PhD from the University of Arizona (2006). His research focuses on Southwestern archaeology, particularly ritual practices among ancestral Pueblo societies and sociopolitical complexity in non-state communities.

• Education: PhD in Anthropology, University of Arizona, 2006

Research interests include zooarchaeology, ceramic analysis, and ritual formation processes, with emphasis on the Homol’ovi settlement cluster in northern Arizona (AD 1250–1400). He investigates how ritual behaviors shape archaeological records and collaborates with institutions like the Arizona State Museum and Harvard University’s Peabody Museum. Current projects include excavations at Chevelon Creek and analysis of Pink Arrow materials to refine Pueblo IV chronology. His work integrates ethnographic methods to build middle-range theories about ancient ritual practices.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Homol’ovi Research Program and leading collaborative projects with the Peabody Museum.