Jessica MacLellan, Ph.D.

I am an anthropological archaeologist interested in ritual, household archaeology, ceramics, and the development of complex societies in Mesoamerica and lower Central America. I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. As of Fall 2022, I will be an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Wake Forest University.

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Since 2012, I have investigated early households at the site of Ceibal, in Guatemala, as part of the Ceibal-Petexbatún Archaeological Project. I focus on the role of domestic and supra-household rituals in the development of ancient Maya society. As of 2021, I am also investigating pre-Hispanic residential sites and social change in the southern Azuero Peninsula of Panama.

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In addition to my research, I am committed to undergraduate teaching and archaeological public outreach.