Maia Dedrick

Assistant Professor

Maia Dedrick is an anthropological archaeologist who studies food systems, particularly in Yucatán, Mexico. She uses the study of plant remains from archaeological sites (called archaeobotany or paleoethnobotany) among other techniques to conduct research in collaboration with communities for whom it is relevant as a matter of heritage and possible inspiration today. Her previous research project involved the excavation of houses and gardens to understand how farmers' livelihoods changed throughout the colonial period. Currently, she is working with a team of academic and community experts to understand past and present climate change and agricultural adaptations to it, especially on communally-held (ejido) lands in Mexico.

Research Interests

Archaeology and archaeobotany
Community-engaged research
Food systems and agricultural heritage
Adaptations to climate change
Colonialism and imperialism
Mexico and Central America
Lidar and landscapes
Household archaeology
Environmental justice

Education

Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2019
M.A. in Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014
B.A. in Anthropology and Classical Archaeology, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 2009

Selected Publications

Dedrick, Maia, Patricia A. McAnany, and Adolfo Iván Batún Alpuche. 2023. “Tracing the Structural Consequences of Colonialism in Rural Yucatán, Mexico.” American Anthropologist 125 (2): 390–403.

Dedrick, Maia, Patricia A. McAnany, and Adolfo Iván Batún Alpuche. 2022. “A Livelihoods Approach to Colonial Period Farming Strategies at Tahcabo, Yucatán.” In Coloniality in the Maya Lowlands: Archaeological Perspectives, edited by Kasey Diserens Morgan and Tiffany C. Fryer, 32–57. Louisville: University Press of Colorado.

Dedrick, Maia, Elizabeth A. Webb, Patricia A. McAnany, José Miguel Kanxoc Kumul, John G. Jones, Adolfo Iván Batún Alpuche, Carly Pope, and Morgan Russell. 2020. “Influential Landscapes: Temporal Trends in the Agricultural Use of Rejolladas at Tahcabo, Yucatán, Mexico.” Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 59 (September): 101175.

Dedrick, Maia. 2018. “Photovoice as a Method for the Development of Collaborative Archaeological Practice.” Journal of Community Archaeology & Heritage 5 (2): 85–100.