UCLA Social Sciences
UCLA has appointed Justin Dunnavant the Joan Silsbee Chair of African Cultural Archaeology recognizing his innovative scholarship and leadership in cultural anthropology and archaeology.
Dunnavant is an assistant professor in the UCLA Department of Anthropology, a core faculty member of UCLA’s Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and a maritime archaeologist. His research explores the historical archaeology of Africa and the African Diaspora particularly focused on the transatlantic slave trade and its ecological impact, maritime archaeology and community-based archaeology.
Dunnavant’s research has reshaped his field’s understanding of African-descended communities across the Atlantic world through his exploration of Black culture through the discovery of lost slave ships — and the secrets they carry. His forthcoming book, “Colonialism, Ecology and Slavery,” under contract with Princeton University Press, investigates the relationship between ecology and enslavement in the former Danish West Indies. His scholarship has also been recognized as a vital contribution to the study of the African peoples and to the training of new generations of students about the potential of African and African Diaspora archaeology.
“Professor Dunnavant’s work is cutting edge and draws on multiple archeological methods, it’s about reclaiming history and countering erasure. He brings this lens into the classroom, engaging and training our students to reconsider the past in new ways,” said Abel Valenzuela, dean of UCLA’s Division of Social Sciences.
This spring, Dunnavant earned a Chancellor’s Arts Initiative grant to produce a documentary that follows divers searching for Marcus Garvey’s sunken Black Star Line, a project that reclaims history and challenges of erasure.
Dunnavant is also the co-founder of the Society of Black Archaeologists and an AAUS Scientific SCUBA Diver. In 2021, he was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and was inducted into The Explorers Club as one of “Fifty People Changing the World that You Need to Know About.” A Howard University graduate, Dunnavant, received his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Florida in 2017, completing a doctoral dissertation based on his archaeological research among the Wolaita ethnic group of Ethiopia.
The Joan Silsbee Chair in African Cultural Archaeology was created in honor of Joan Malloy Silsbee ‘53, following her passing in 2011. During her lifetime, Silsbee made numerous trips to Africa and developed a love of its rich history. The prestigious position was designed to support archaeological research and student training.
“I am honored to hold the Silsbee Chair in African Cultural Archaeology and look forward to developing our newest endeavor exploring the deep history of terrace communities in the Anti-Atlas Mountains of Morocco. With scholars like Merrick Posnansky and Willeke Wendrich, UCLA has played a central role in African archaeology,” said Dunnavant. “In the coming years I intend renew our commitment to this rich legacy and help to train a new generation of terrestrial and maritime archaeologists.”
Endowed chairs at UCLA are among the university’s highest faculty honors, supporting scholarly excellence and advancing research, teaching and public engagement across disciplines. They are made possible by the generosity of alumni, former faculty members and friends of the university. UCLA’s Division of Social Sciences has approximately 300 faculty members, and 35 endowed chairs.
Learn More:
UCLA Magazine | Deep Diver: Justin Dunnavant
University of California | Digging, diving and discovering stories untold