Dr. Julia Guernsey

Biography

Julia Guernsey received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997 and has been teaching about ancient Mesoamerican art and culture in the Department of Art and Art History since 2001. Her research publications focus on the Middle and Late Preclassic periods of ancient Mesoamerica, specifically between 1000 BCE and 300 CE. She participates in the La Blanca Archaeological Project, which investigates a significant site located in the Pacific coastal piedmont region of Guatemala from the Middle Preclassic period. Guernsey's recent book, "Human Figuration and Fragmentation in Preclassic Mesoamerica: Figurines and Sculpture," published in 2020 by Cambridge University Press, examines the relationship between human figuration, bodily fragmentation, and concepts of community within ancient Mesoamerica. Additionally, she co-edited the volume "Early Mesoamerican Cities: Urbanism and Urbanization in the Formative Period," which presents new data and case studies on the nature of early Mesoamerican urbanism. Her book, "Sculpture and Social Dynamics in Preclassic Mesoamerica", published in 2012, addresses the role of enigmatic sculptures in ancient societal structures. Guernsey was awarded the University Co-op Robert W. Hamilton Grand Prize for her book in 2013 and has received research support from the American Association of University Women and the Mellon Foundation.

Research Interests