James Deetz

Born on February 8, 1930, and dying on November 25, 2000, James Deetz was an American anthropologist and archaeologist widely described as one of the founders of historical archaeology. His work focused on culture change and on what material remains can tell us about the lives of people in colonial New England and Virginia.

He taught at several major universities during his career, including the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Virginia. Deetz became especially well known for explaining archaeology in a clear, inviting way, arguing that ordinary things — from house forms to gravestones and pottery — can open a window onto how people thought and lived.

Many readers know him best through In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life, a book that helped bring historical archaeology to a broad audience. He also worked extensively at sites such as Flowerdew Hundred, and his research left a lasting mark on the study of early America.