Profile
Megan Hicks uses archaeology to understand community ecologies in the context of colonial and capitalist intensification.
Her research in Iceland unearths traditional modes of farming, fishing, and hunting, revealing their centrality to shifting political and market formations. In the Northeastern US, Hicks’s research attends to 19th century Black enclaves, interpreting land use intersecting with issues of self- determination in the face of economic marginalization. She consults, by request, with Native communities to mobilize heritage for land protection. Her methodologies include excavation, zooarchaeology, and archival research. Across different projects, she practices collaborative and engaged archaeology in which descendant and host communities contribute to research design, mutually share expertise, and co-organize community education initiatives.
Hicks teaches undergraduate and MA level courses: Archaeology of Colonialism, Zooarchaeology, Urban Archaeology of NYC, and Gender in Archaeology. Her ongoing research creates consistent opportunities for students to engage in fieldwork and laboratory analysis.