Joshua Torres

I am a broadly trained anthropological archaeologist with specialization in the Caribbean, Southeastern, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. My research  focuses on understanding the development of hierarchical social organization, specifically the emergence of incipient political institutions or “chiefdom” type societies.  My research explores the intersections of ‘real’ and ‘imagined’ communities and how people were integrated through political and ritual institutions.  To address these issues, I examine the materiality of landscapes and the relational properties of settlement and place as a tool to understand political organization at the regional level. 

I have conceptual interests in phenomenology, social network theory, ideology and symbolism, island and coastal archaeology, and issues related to the collapse and reconstitution of contemporary and ancient societies. 

I am currently the National Park Service's Regional Archaeologist and Supervisor of History and Culture Programs for the National Capital Area. 

During my tenure with the National Park Service, I have been actively engaged in cultural resource preservation and management, research, and education.  I have served as park archaeologist, anthropologist, historian, conservator, museum curator, and Section 106 coordinator.
Supervisors: Antonio Curet, Michael Heckenberger, William Keegan, and Nick Bartolomeo