Eric Hubbard
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Eric Hubbard is an anthropological archaeologist who studies long-term human-environment dynamics and cultural heritage politics from Central Asia to the US Midwest. He specializes in digital methods, including GIS, archaeological geophysics, and satellite remote sensing as tools for research and public engagement. He is completing his Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania with a dissertation on Bronze Age and Soviet water management in Uzbekistan. As part of community-led projects in Ohio and Pennsylvania, he collaborates on efforts to document and preserve historic African American cemeteries through archival research and non-invasive surveys. At the Penn Museum, he co-curated the new Eastern Mediterranean Gallery and taught archaeological science through the Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM).
Recent Courses Taught
Principles of Archaeology
Analytics Methods
Research Interests
Environmental history, early polities in Central Asia, archaeo-hydrology, community archaeology, colonial-era archaeology, geospatial methods
Distinctions
- Junior Kolb Society Fellowship, Penn Museum (2022–2026)
- Mellon Humanities Graduate Fellowship (2022)
- Benjamin Franklin Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania (2019–2024)
- Merit Scholarship of 2/3 Tuition, University of Chicago (2017–18)
- NSF-REU (2015)
- APEX Fellowship, College of Wooster (2014)
Selected Publications
- Rouse, L. M., Stark, S., et al. including Hubbard, E. T. "Investigations at Kimirek-Kum 1 in 2024: Report on Spring and Autumn Fieldwork Seasons." Archaeological Research in Asia 45 (2026)
- Hubbard, E. "Archaeology, Archives & Empire: Excavating Beth Shean in British Mandate Palestine." Expedition: p.74-85. Penn Museum (2023)
- Hubbard, E. "Prayer and Protection: Ritual Acts and Magical Objects in the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean." Expedition: p.58-65, Penn Museum (2023)
- Hubbard, E. and Amany Abd El Hameed. "From Theban Tombs to Cairo Classrooms: The art of Ahmed Yousef." Expedition, Penn Museum (in press)
- Hubbard, E., C. LaMack, et al. "A Multi-Modal, Multi-Species Approach to Recovering Black History: K9 Detection, GPR, and the Search for Worthington Cemetery." Historical Archaeology (in press)
Professional Affiliations
Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA)
Society for American Archaeology (SAA)
American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR)
Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)
Appointed to the Faculty
2026Educational Background
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
M.A., University of Chicago
B.A., College of Wooster
