Dr. Richard Burger

Biography

Richard L. Burger is the Charles J. MacCurdy Professor at Yale University’s Department of Anthropology and the Curator of the Division of Anthropology at the Peabody Museum. He joined the Yale faculty in 1981, having received his undergraduate degree in archaeology from Yale College and completed his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. He previously served as the Chairman of the Department of Anthropology and as the Director of the Peabody Museum from 1995 to 2002. His research focuses on the emergence of civilization in the Central Andes, where he has conducted extensive fieldwork, including excavations at notable sites such as Chavin de Huantar and Cardal. In addition to his teaching role, Burger is an honorary member of several Peruvian university faculties and has been the Chair of Senior Fellows in Pre-Columbian Studies at Dumbarton Oaks and is currently the President of the Institute of Andean Research in New York. He has authored numerous publications on South American prehistory, including significant edited volumes and research articles on various aspects of Andean archaeology.

Research Interests