Research Bio

Laurie Wilkie is a feminist historical and contemporary archaeologist whose research focuses on experiences of families and communities in the recent past. She studies how everyday objects and domestic spaces reveal the lived experiences of marginalized communities in the US and Caribbean. Wilkie’s work combines excavation, archival research, and oral history to illuminate people often excluded from or misrepresented in written records. Her scholarship highlights how archaeology contributes to understanding race, gender, disability and inequality in the modern world. 

She is Professor of Anthropology at UC Berkeley, and former Director of the Archaeological Research Facility.

Research Expertise and Interest

anthropology, historical archaeology, oral history, material culture and ethnic identity, family and gender relations, North America, Northern California, Caribbean, Bahamas, African consumerism, creolization, multi-ethnic community