Lacey Carpenter
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Lacey Carpenter’s ongoing archaeological research focuses on daily life and households during a time of political transformation in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico, where she directed excavations beginning in 2014. More broadly, she is interested in how ordinary people participated in and reacted to major changes in their political, economic, and social systems.
Carpenter also works closely with the community in the contemporary town of San Martín Tilcajete, where archaeologists and artisans collaborate to find new ways to celebrate Zapotec cultural traditions and innovations. She received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Northwestern University and her master’s from the University of Michigan.
Recent Courses Taught
Principles of Archaeology
North American Prehistory
Select Publications
- CARPENTER, LACEY B., GARY M. FEINMAN, AND LINDA M. NICHOLAS. 2012. Spindle Whorls from El Palmillo: Economic Implications. Latin American Antiquity 23(4): 381-400.
Appointed to the Faculty
2018Educational Background
M.A., University of Michigan
B.A., Northwestern University