Title

Lecturer in Anthropology

Anthropology

Expertise

Historical archaeology; anthropology; material culture; heritage and museum studies; agrarian communities; memory and identity; New England archaeology; colonialism; contemporary archaeology; graffiti studies; smuggling and illegal trade; Caribbean archaeology.

Profile

Travis Parno is a historical archaeologist specializing in the colonization and recent history of the eastern United States and Caribbean. His doctoral research focused on the Fairbanks House (c.1641) in Dedham, Massachusetts. Travis studied both the rich occupational history of the house, which is regularly touted as the oldest timber-framed house in North America, and the building's function as a heritage museum. His current research investigates how Fairbanks family members' identities were renegotiated on multiple scales following the scandal and tragedy of the 1801 Jason Fairbanks murder trial. Travis is also exploring the relationship between time, archaeological practice, and cultural heritage at local house museums.