Charles S. Spencer
Encyclopedia
Charles Sidney Spencer is Curator of Mexican and Central American Archaeology in the Division of Anthropology
at the American Museum of Natural History
in New York City
.
"Dr. Spencer is an internationally renowned anthropological archaeologist specializing in the origins of hierarchical societies and the rise of the first political states in Mesoamerica
, where he has been conducting fieldwork for more than 25 years. His focus is the Oaxaca Valley
and surrounding regions, a mountainous part of southern Mexico
that is home to the Zapotec people. He is also widely recognized as a leader in the application of evolutionary theory
and socio-political concepts to the study of prehistoric cultural change and has formulated a mathematical model of pristine state formation."
Dr. Spencer completed his graduate training at the University of Michigan
, where he received his Ph.D. in Anthropology
in 1981. His dissertation, "The Cuicatlán Cañada and Monte Albán
: Interregional Processes and Primary State Formation in Central Oaxaca," was published by Academic Press in 1982. He has over ninety publications to date, including books, chapters, and articles. Since the 1970s, Spencer has conducted extensive archaeological fieldwork in Mexico
and Venezuela
. Prior to his appointment at the AMNH in 1991, he was Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut
. Dr. Spencer was born June 12, 1950 in Ancon, Panama, then part of the Panama Canal Zone
. He attended local U.S.-operated schools in the Canal Zone before leaving Panama to attend Rice University
, where he received his BA in Anthropology in 1972.
In 2007, Dr. Spencer was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences
, one of the highest honors a scientist can receive from a U.S.-based organization. At his induction ceremony in April 2008, NAS President Ralph Cicerone lauded Dr. Spencer as "the leading evolutionary archaeologist of his generation." The citation continues: "His fieldwork has documented the rise of entrepreneurial rank societies, the origin of the stratified militaristic state, and the strategies of imperial colonization. His work combines empirical data with evolutionary concepts like tempo, mode, biased transmission, and adaptive peaks."
Dr. Spencer is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, along with his wife and research collaborator, Elsa M. Redmond, Ph.D. They reside in the Connecticut suburbs of New York City.
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
"Dr. Spencer is an internationally renowned anthropological archaeologist specializing in the origins of hierarchical societies and the rise of the first political states in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
, where he has been conducting fieldwork for more than 25 years. His focus is the Oaxaca Valley
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
and surrounding regions, a mountainous part of southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
that is home to the Zapotec people. He is also widely recognized as a leader in the application of evolutionary theory
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and socio-political concepts to the study of prehistoric cultural change and has formulated a mathematical model of pristine state formation."
Dr. Spencer completed his graduate training at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where he received his Ph.D. in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
in 1981. His dissertation, "The Cuicatlán Cañada and Monte Albán
Monte Albán
Monte Albán is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site in the Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán Municipality in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca...
: Interregional Processes and Primary State Formation in Central Oaxaca," was published by Academic Press in 1982. He has over ninety publications to date, including books, chapters, and articles. Since the 1970s, Spencer has conducted extensive archaeological fieldwork in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Prior to his appointment at the AMNH in 1991, he was Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
. Dr. Spencer was born June 12, 1950 in Ancon, Panama, then part of the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. He attended local U.S.-operated schools in the Canal Zone before leaving Panama to attend Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, where he received his BA in Anthropology in 1972.
In 2007, Dr. Spencer was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, one of the highest honors a scientist can receive from a U.S.-based organization. At his induction ceremony in April 2008, NAS President Ralph Cicerone lauded Dr. Spencer as "the leading evolutionary archaeologist of his generation." The citation continues: "His fieldwork has documented the rise of entrepreneurial rank societies, the origin of the stratified militaristic state, and the strategies of imperial colonization. His work combines empirical data with evolutionary concepts like tempo, mode, biased transmission, and adaptive peaks."
Dr. Spencer is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, along with his wife and research collaborator, Elsa M. Redmond, Ph.D. They reside in the Connecticut suburbs of New York City.