Dr. Barbara Voss

Biography

Barbara L. Voss is a historical archaeologist at Stanford University, focusing on themes of colonization, diaspora, and sexuality in the modern world. Her research traces the historical processes that have affected vulnerable communities, examining how these communities have resisted, transformed, survived, and participated in displacement and violence. Voss conducts archaeological field and laboratory studies alongside oral history, community-based knowledge, archival research, and media analyses, employing a mixed-methodology approach to develop multi-scalar perspectives that cross conventional boundaries of the local and global in understanding the past, present, and future. Her research and teaching are guided by principles of community-based research, collaborating with descendants, heritage stakeholders, community organizations, activists, and artists to create public-facing projects that critically examine the past while addressing the needs of historically oppressed communities. Voss is committed to widening access to archaeology and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the discipline through activism, advocacy, and mentoring. She acknowledges the history of Stanford University as founded on stolen land and the unfair extraction of labor from Chinese railroad workers.

Research Interests