Kathleen A. Deagan

With a focus in the comparative, multiscalar archaeology of the Spanish colonial period in the Americas, Deagan's approach involves the fine articulation of historic accounts with the archaeological remains. She has  directed excavations in Spanish colonial St. Augustine since 1972, including the study of  cultural syncretism among Spanish, Indian and African residents.  Her investigations at the Taíno town of En Bas Saline, Haiti--whose chief allied himself with Columbus in 1492--revealed insights into Taíno resilience in the post-contact era. The publications from her search for Columbus's first fort in La Navidad and excavations at the town of La Isabela, provide a thorough interpretation of the processes and events of Spanish-American interaction.