Dr. Christopher Watts

Biography

Christopher Watts is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Waterloo, holding a PhD from Toronto. His research interests lie at the intersection of place-making, materiality, artworks, and relational ontologies, particularly focusing on the Woodland Period cultural traditions of the lower Great Lakes, dating from around CE 1 to 1550. Watts has made significant contributions to contemporary social archaeological theory and Indigenous collaboration scholarship, emphasizing the Woodland people's interactions with their material culture and contextual associations. His work addresses archaeological methods that engage with processes and the materialization of sites and features. Prior to his tenure at Waterloo, Dr. Watts held postdoctoral fellowships at the Royal Ontario Museum and the University of Western Ontario, and he has experience in commercial and regulatory archaeology. His ongoing field research targets Woodland Period earthen enclosures in southwestern Ontario, alongside collections-based projects examining design elements in Woodland pottery and other artifacts. Dr. Watts is eager to guide graduate students interested in pursuing studies in Public Issues Anthropology at Waterloo.

Research Interests

Courses