Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Abigail Levine is an archaeologist with a regional specialty in the south central Andes.  She received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from UCLA in 2012, with a focus on the evolution of complex societies, and specifically, the role of war and trade in this process.  Her research at the archaeological site of Taraco, located in the Lake Titicaca Basin of Peru, was featured in the New York Times and was named one of the top 10 discoveries of 2011 by Archaeology Magazine.   Dr. Levine has taught numerous Anthropology courses including Introduction to Archaeology, South American Archaeology, Economic Anthropology, Archaeology of Chiefdoms, and the Archaeology of Vice.  She has also led a field school at Taraco co-sponsored by UCLA and the Institute for Field Research.