Unearthing the Past: Exploring Research at the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology
The Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA stands as a premier research organization, dedicated to the creation, dissemination, and conservation of archaeological knowledge and heritage. It serves as a hub for innovative faculty research, graduate education, and public programs at UCLA, striving to make a positive impact on academic, local, and global communities.
A Nexus of Interdisciplinary Archaeological Research
The Cotsen Institute of Archaeology is an interdisciplinary organized research unit, bringing together more than 30 UCLA faculty members from 11 departments, and 60 Research Associates. The UCLA Interdepartmental Archaeology Graduate Program (AP) integrates archaeological faculty throughout the university for the training of graduate students who wish to pursue interdisciplinary research. Since the inception of the program, we have awarded over 100 M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Archaeology. The mission of the Archaeology Program is to train students in the best interdisciplinary practices and techniques of archaeological investigation. At the same time, we provide students with a strong background in archaeological interpretation and theory that will enable them to undertake independent research, explanation, and preservation of archaeological heritage worldwide. The Institute provides a stimulating intellectual environment for graduate students through the UCLA Interdepartmental Archaeology Graduate Program and the UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials, and for undergraduate students through the UCLA Archaeology Field Program. Additionally, the Institute houses numerous laboratories and research groups directed by faculty, research staff and Research Associates.
Engaging with Archaeology: Opportunities for Involvement
For those with a passion for archaeology, the Cotsen Institute offers a variety of avenues for engagement, both within Los Angeles and across the globe. Do you find yourself spending your vacations wandering among Maya ruins and visiting archaeology museums across the globe? At the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, there are a number of ways to get involved in archaeological research in Los Angeles and beyond.
Friends of the Cotsen Institute
Join the Friends of the Cotsen Institute, the group dedicated to supporting graduate student education, faculty research, and many other initiatives. Interested in joining? Contact us today!
Volunteer Opportunities
Are you interested in cataloging rock art, analyzing animal bones, organizing notes and photos from field research projects, or cataloging ancient artifacts? There are many volunteer opportunities to be an active contributor to cutting-edge research projects with faculty, staff, and students at the Cotsen Institute in our laboratories, archives, or Press. If you are interested in volunteering, fill out the form here. Please note that submitting this form does not guarantee you will be matched with a volunteer position at the Cotsen.
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Gift Giving
Cotsen Institute programs benefit significantly from private gift giving. These funds can be directed towards graduate student support, faculty research, Cotsen Institute Publications, or “Greatest Needs.” We thank you for your enthusiastic support of archaeology at UCLA.
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press: Disseminating Knowledge and Preserving Heritage
Since 1975, the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press (formerly the Publications Unit) has served to preserve cultural heritage through the documentation and publication of scholarly archaeological research. Specializing in producing high-quality academic volumes, the Press publishes about 10 titles per year in seven different series:
- Monumenta Archaeologica: Contains final reports of significant field research, presented in hardcover format.
- Monographs: Focus on contributions in synthetic field research and current issues in archaeological method and theory.
- Cotsen Advanced Seminars: Are the published results of Cotsen Institute sponsored seminars, where scholars explore cross-disciplinary themes.
- Ideas, Debates, and Perspectives: Offers a forum to address theoretical and practical issues of concern to contemporary archaeology.
- World Heritage and Monuments: Highlights major archaeological sites and monuments around the globe and seeks to preserve their unique cultural contributions through scholarly documentation and publication.
- Perspectives in California Archaeology: Presents substantive and theoretical topics focusing on archaeological research in California.
- Archaeological Research Tools: Presents manuals covering specific topics of practical interest to archaeological research. Several filtering options, including series, are available for our Online Catalog.
Acquisitions are monitored by an Editorial Board composed of distinguished UCLA faculty and are accepted based on the results of critical peer review. The Press is committed to producing innovative volumes in a variety of formats and mediums. We strive to make our publications freely accessible through eScholarship, University of California’s repository for open access publications. Additionally, through the DIG (Digital Information Gateway) initiative, we sustainably publish and provide access to data associated with our printed publications in an effort to facilitate reuse and expand data practices within the cross disciplinary field of archaeology.
Acclaimed Publications: A Glimpse into Recent Works
Recent reviews in journals such as American Journal of Archaeology, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, and Nations and Nationalism highlight the exceptional quality and superb presentation of research published by the Cotsen Institute Press:
Animals, Ancestors, and Ritual in Early Bronze Age Syria, Edited by Glenn M. Schwartz (2024)
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"This fine well-illustrated book with its numerous detailed studies concerning the Early Bronze Age remains from Umm el-Marra presents a wealth of precious data that can bring into sharper focus a wide range of aspects in the organization of the societies of the northern Levant during that time. . .It will certainly be of great interest to scholars and students involved in such studies and have significant impact on the understanding of the archaeology and history of the northern Levant and the neighboring regions in the later Early Bronze Age."- Marta D'Andrea, Bulletin of ASOR, 2025
Ancient Methone 2003-2013, Edited by Sarah P. Morris and John K. Papadopoulos (2023)
". . .the abundance, diversity, and chronological range of the objects included in these volumes should be emphasized. The presentation of the text and images is of a high standard. The importance of this work lies in its interdisciplinary methodologies, combining typological analysis of the finds and criticism of the sources with natural history, bioarchaeology, material analysis, and geochemistry, to reveal the long history of a site of crucial importance for the economic and political history of classical Greece and the northern Aegean.” - Kostas Filis, American Journal of Archaeology, 2025
Early Athens, by Eirini Dimitriadou (2019)
“. . .presents all the relevant contexts in detail, including the original plans, within which Dimitriadou’s three phases of interest (Submycenaean, [Proto-]Geometric and Archaic) as well as the ensuing Classical phases have been highlighted in different colors. This will make her book a major reference volume for a long time… [The author has done] the scholarly community a great service in drawing the attention to the wealth of data available.” - Maximilian F. Rönnberg, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2019
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Unmasking Ideology, Edited by Bonnie Effros and Guolong Lai (2018)
“The impressive geographical range, the variety of cases, and the depth of analysis will make this volume a key reference book for understanding relations between archaeology, imperialism, and national identities.” - John Hutchinson, Nations and Nationalism, 2019
In addition to acclaimed books, the CIoA Press produces an annual, full-length magazine that features recent Institute research, news and events. Young Dr.
A Personal Connection: The Enduring Impact of Mentorship
I have vivid memories of sitting in Richard Leventhal’s office in A207 Fowler sometime around 1998. I was a twenty-one-year-old anthropology major who was there to talk to the then Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology about whether he would consider supervising an independent research project I was developing on the material evidence for shamanism in ancient West Mexican funerary deposits. At that time, I was also a work-study student in Jeanne Arnold’s Channel Islands Lab where I sorted seashells with tweezers for hours on end until it got to the point that I was having dreams about Olivella beads. Despite the fact that I would sometimes close my eyes and see seashells, working with Jeanne cemented my love of archaeology. It was also her early mentorship that made me feel welcome in the Cotsen and in the field of archaeology more generally.
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