Faculty Profile
Andrew Dufton
(he/him/his)Assistant Professor of Archaeology; Christopher Roberts Chair in Archaeology (2022)
Contact Information
Keck Archaeology Lab
717-245-1014
Bio
I am a Mediterranean archaeologist that studies the long-term dynamics of urban change. My research asks questions of how cities—ancient and modern—shape the daily experiences of their inhabitants, with a primary focus on the archaeology and architecture of North Africa during the Iron Age and Roman periods. I have participated in a wide array of fieldwork across the Mediterranean world at sites like the imperial villa and medieval monastery at Villa Magna (Italy), the Nabataean city of Petra (Jordan), and the Punic and Roman city of Utica (Tunisia). My work also involves a longstanding interest in the use of new digital technologies in fieldwork and the recording and sharing of archaeological data. Many of these techniques are changing the ways we think about archaeology and how we interact with local communities—I am keen to ask questions about the ethical considerations of the digital turn.
Education
- B.A., McGill University, 2003
- M. Sc. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 2005
- Ph.D. Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Brown University, 2017
2025-2026 Academic Year
Fall 2025
FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will:
- Critically analyze information and ideas
- Examine issues from multiple perspectives
- Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason
- Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and
- Create clear academic writing
The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.
ARCH 130 Roman Art and Archaeology
Cross-listed with CLST 224-01.
CLST 224 Roman Art and Archaeology
Cross-listed with ARCH 130-01.
ANTH 290 Archaeological Methods
Cross-listed with ARCH 290-01.
ARCH 290 Archaeological Methods
Cross-listed with ANTH 290-01.
Spring 2026
ARCH 210 Epics and Empires
Cross-listed with ANTH 245-01.
ANTH 245 Epics and Empires
Cross-listed with ARCH 210-01. The Mediterranean Bronze Age (3300-1200 BCE) was a time of intense connectivity and interaction. Long-distance trade connected the eastern Mediterranean to Africa and Asia, diplomatic alliances shaped regional politics, early writing facilitated the beginnings of epic literature, and vast empires emerged around capital cities, ruled by royal households and powerful religious figures. After 2000 years of innovation and prosperity, this complex world fell apart in just a few decades-a drastic collapse still fiercely debated by archaeologists. This course considers the archaeology of an interconnected Bronze Age, including the cultures of ancient Egypt, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, the Levant, and the Aegean. A comparative approach highlights the shared characteristics of these early empires and the important exchange of objects and ideas between some of the most well-known cultures of the ancient world.
ANTH 345 Mat World of Global Inequality
Cross-listed with ARCH 345-01. A social system dividing haves and have-nots, those with the power to acquire more 'stuff' and those without, is not a modern phenomenon. As a
discipline dedicated both to the study of materials and understanding long-term cultural change, archaeology makes a unique contribution to these debates. This class considers social injustice across time and on a global scale, examining the ways in which the material world of objects, buildings, landscapes, and resources is created by-and creates-social divisions.
ARCH 345 Mat World of Global Inequality
Cross-listed with ANTH 345-01. A social system dividing haves and have-nots, those with the power to acquire more 'stuff' and those without, is not a modern phenomenon. As a
discipline dedicated both to the study of materials and understanding long-term cultural change, archaeology makes a unique contribution to these debates. This class considers social injustice across time and on a global scale, examining the ways in which the material world of objects, buildings, landscapes, and resources is created by-and creates-social divisions.