Julia A. King

Professor of Anthropology

Department Chair

Julia A. King

Biography

Julia A. King has 30 years experience studying, writing, and teaching about historical archaeology and Chesapeake history and culture. She has held fellowships with Harvard University's Dumbarton Oaks, the Virginia Historical Society, and Winterthur Museum and has received six major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. From 2003 until 2011, King served as an Expert Member on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a Federal agency that advises the president and Congress on matters of national historic preservation policy. Her book, Archaeology, Narrative, and the Politics of the Past: The View from Southern Maryland, received a Book Award from the American Association of State and Local History in 2013. In 2018, the Society for Historical Archaeology presented King with the J.C. Harrington Award in recognition of her scholarly contributions to the discipline. King is one of the youngest members to have received the Harrington. She has also received awards from the Register for Professional Archaeologists and the Archaeological Society of Virginia. Her current research focus includes Indigenous history and colonialism in the Chesapeake region.

Areas of Research Specialization

  • Historical Archaeology
  • Chesapeake region
  • Indigenous history

Areas of Teaching Specialization

  • Archaeology
  • Historic Preservation
  • Indigenous History and Culture

Education

  • B.A. in Anthropology and History at The College of William and Mary, 1978
  • M.A. in Anthropology at Florida State University, 1981
  • Ph.D. in American Civilization at University of Pennsylvania, 1990

Awards

  • J.C. Harrington Award, 2018

    Conferred by the Society for Historical Archaeology, the J.C. Harrington Award recognizes outstanding scholarly contributions to the discipline.

  • Out-of-State-Archaeologist Award, Archaeological Society of Virginia, 2018

    This award recognizes King's archaeological work with the Rappahannock Tribe of Virginia.

  • Award of Merit, American Association for State and Local History, 2013

    In recognition of King's book, Archaeology, Narrative, and the Politics of the Past: The View from Southern Maryland (Tennessee, 2012). 

  • Presidential Service Award, Register of Professional Archaeologists, 2011