John Kantner
Staff Scholar
2006–Present
John KantnerVice President for Academic & Institutional AdvancementSAR Vice President John Kantner is an anthropological archaeologist with experiences range from Spanish Colonial historic sites in New Mexico and Georgia, to pre-Hispanic traditions of southern Central America, to early nomadic sites of the Southern Plains. With a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Kantner currently directs the Lobo Mesa Archaeological Project (LMAP) in west-central New Mexico. The goal of this research is to identify the processes by which complex social and political regional institutions emerge from communities of comparatively simple horticulturists. This project also seeks to understand the Chaco Canyon phenomenon and its impact on the prehistory of the American Southwest, an interest explored in his most recent book, The Ancient Puebloan Southwest, published by Cambridge University Press, and a 2000 book, Great House Communities Across the Chacoan Landscape, published by University of Arizona Press. In 2006-2007, Kantner published a chapter on post-Chacoan religion in the edited volume Religion in the Prehispanic Southwest and a book review in American Antiquity, and an invited article evaluating the state of regional analysis in archaeology is currently in press with the Journal of Archaeological Research. With colleagues Kevin Vaughn and Jelmer Eerkens, Kantner co-chaired a SAR Advanced Seminar on “The Emergence of Leadership,” the results of which are being prepared for possible publication by SAR Press. In May, he completed a six-year appointment as editor of the Society for American Archaeology’s trade journal, The Archaeological Record, receiving a SAA Presidential Recognition Award for his efforts.
Learn more about Dr. Kantner’s research and publications.