Christopher Begley
Transylvania University, Anthropology, Faculty Member
- Chris Begley is an archaeologist who works on issues of identity and material culture. He received his Ph.D. at The ... moreChris Begley is an archaeologist who works on issues of identity and material culture. He received his Ph.D. at The University of Chicago, focusing on the archaeology of the Mosquitia of Honduras. He is the author of ‘The Lost White City of the Honduras: Discovered Again (And Again). ‘ Recently he has focused on underwater archaeology, working and training students in Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia. His current projects focus on nineteenth century steamships in El Salvador, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.edit
This chapter examines the challenges associated with building research communities in a dynamic region with historic political, cultural, and ethnic tensions. It details the creation of research initiatives and cross-border collaborations... more
This chapter examines the challenges associated with building research communities in a dynamic region with historic political, cultural, and ethnic tensions. It details the creation of research initiatives and cross-border collaborations in Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro. It argues that 'capacity building' should be considered a dirty word and archaeological growth is best realized through a framework of equal partnerships on high-impact research projects. Furthermore, public interest both locally and abroad is necessary to sustain multiyear maritime archaeology projects and raise awareness about protecting underwater cultural heritage. Specifically, we discuss the Illyrian Coastal Exploration Program (ICEP). Since 2007, RPM Nautical Foundation (RPMNF) has been conducting deep water remote sensing and diver surveys along the eastern Adriatic Sea coastline, formerly the homeland of the Illyrian tribes and the Roman province of Illyricum. In 2008, RPMNF Director Dr Jeff Royal formed the ICEP as a group connecting research across modern political boundaries. ICEP has formed collaborations with several regional centres to offer workshops, field schools, and facilitate research. While the western coast of the Adriatic has over sixty years of research in maritime archaeology, the eastern Adriatic is relatively undocumented. Composed of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania, maritime archaeology is in its infancy in several of these countries. Croatia has led the way with many large-scale and innovative projects, but only a handful of projects have been undertaken in the other countries.
Research Interests:
Fort Ancient societies were located on the northeastern periphery of Mississippian polities. Fort Ancient communities interacted with their Mississippian contemporaries within the domestic/household sphere and within the ritual/exchange... more
Fort Ancient societies were located on the northeastern periphery of Mississippian polities. Fort Ancient communities interacted with their Mississippian contemporaries within the domestic/household sphere and within the ritual/exchange sphere in a limited way prior to A.D. 1400, but this interaction increased significantly after that date. Ceramic and marine shell data are used to characterize this interaction.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A question and answer interview between archaeologist Chris Begley and writer Christopher Stewart that appeared in the 2014 book Jungleland.
Research Interests:
A blog post from Real Honduran Archaeology in which I discuss the fundamentally important role played by the Pech in my archaeological research in the Mosquito Coast of Honduras, in response to sensational claims of the discovery of a... more
A blog post from Real Honduran Archaeology in which I discuss the fundamentally important role played by the Pech in my archaeological research in the Mosquito Coast of Honduras, in response to sensational claims of the discovery of a lost city.