Julia Jong Haines

By A Mystery Man Writer

Dr. Julia Jong Haines is an anthropological and historical archaeologist whose research focuses on the intersection of inequality, community identities, and landscapes. She received her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Virginia and recently completed a fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Comparative Archaeology. Her research examines the historical changes to the identities and political ecologies of enslaved and indentured plantation laborers and communities on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius from the 18th through the mid-20th century—a time when the island was besieged by sugar cane monocropping, deforestation, and village/urban development. In collaboration with Mauritian communities, local environmental and cultural resource managers, and researchers Dr. Haines also is dedicated to integrating archeological research into ongoing public history programs and supporting community-centered heritage projects. As a teacher, Dr. Haines engages students with digital methods, and the materials and landscapes of the past, particularly to broaden their understanding of the modern origins of power and inequality. She has taught a range of courses on the archaeology and anthropology of slavery and indenture, healing and disease, and gender and sexuality. In all her courses she emphasizes the politics of heritage and encourages students to confront the violent colonial roots of anthropology and archaeology, and grapple with contemporary ethical issues around conducting research. She has published articles on her research in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology, Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, and Journal of African Diaspora archaeology and Heritage and is editing a volume on historical archaeology (U Florida Press)