About

James Davidson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida. His research interests include historical archaeology focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries, the African diaspora, mortuary studies, and folk beliefs. He has contributed to the understanding of cultural practices and spiritual symbolism through his archaeological investigations and publications. Davidson's work often explores themes related to African spirituality, mortuary variability, and the interpretation of artifacts within historical contexts. His scholarly contributions include numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, where he examines topics such as animal sacrifice, supernatural objects, and the African origins of grave vaulting in the United States. He holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin, earned in 2004, along with a master's degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Davidson is actively involved in research, teaching, and mentoring within the field of archaeology and anthropology.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Political Science
• History
• Archaeology
• Art
• Geography
• Ethnology
• Law
• Anthropology
• Biology
• Ancient history
• Genealogy
• Demography
• Literature
• Gender studies

Selected publications

• Slaves with Guns in the American South: an Archaeological Assessment

  International Journal of Historical Archaeology · 2025-11-10

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Cross Marks in the African Diaspora

  BAR Publishing eBooks · 2025-04-30

  book1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• The Droke Family Burial Ground (3BE655): The Civil War, Civilian Dead, and Wartime Exigencies

  International Journal of Historical Archaeology · 2024-06-27

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• John L. Cotter Award in Historical Archaeology: Edward González-Tennant

  Historical Archaeology · 2023-06-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Padlocks as Supernatural Objects in the African Diaspora

  International Journal of Historical Archaeology · 2023-02-02 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Padlocks as Negotiated Freedoms within Enslavement

  International Journal of Historical Archaeology · 2023 · 2 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Sociology
  PublisherDOI

• Revolting Things: An Archaeology of Shameful Histories and Repulsive Realities. PAUL R. MULLINS. 2021. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. xi + 208 pp. $85.00 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0-8130-6671-4.

  American Antiquity · 2022-05-17

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Revolting Things: An Archaeology of Shameful Histories and Repulsive Realities. PAUL R. MULLINS. 2021. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. xi + 208 pp. $85.00 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0-8130-6671-4. - Volume 87 Issue 4

  PublisherDOI

• The Subfloor-Pit Tradition in the United States: A Florida Case Study and Critical Reappraisal of Its Origins

  Historical Archaeology · 2021 · 5 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Archaeology
  PublisherDOI

• Black and White Beads in the African Diaspora

  Historical Archaeology · 2020 · 11 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • History
  • Anthropology
  PublisherDOI

• A Return to Fort Mose: Exploring a Free African Town on the Spanish Frontier (1752-1763)

  2020-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

Frequent coauthors

• P. Suresh C. Rao

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  19 shared

• D.M. Sheppard

  Monash University

  17 shared

• R. E. Jessup

  University of California, San Diego

  11 shared

• T. C. Keisling

  University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

  9 shared

• D. R. Nielsen

  9 shared

• Robert Morrison

  9 shared

• David L. Weeks

  Elmhurst Hospital Center

  9 shared

• J. W. Biggar

  University of California, Davis

  9 shared