Michael Malpass

I am an anthropologically trained archaeologist with major interests in South American prehistory, ethnohistory, prehistoric agricultural systems, complex societies, and teaching techniques in anthropology. I have a Masters and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

I have been a faculty member at Ithaca College since 1989. I came as the first permanent archaeologist in the department, and, like all of us, was asked to wear many hats. As our department expanded, I have focused my teaching energies on Latin American prehistory courses and the introductory world archaeology course. I have also taught at the College of William and Mary, St. Lawrence University and Washington and Lee University.

I maintain an active research program in Peru, where I am currently involved in studies of the early occupants of the south Andes. Previous research was focused on Inca and pre-Inca cultures as well. I wrote and edited two books on the Incas, the University of Iowa's Provincial Inca. Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Assessment of the Impact of the Inca State,and Greenwood Press' Daily Life in the Inca Empire. A photo gallery of my most recent fieldwork on early agriculture in the Andes (2004) is available on the Department of Anthropology website.

I love to teach and interact with students, and have taken IC students on my research in Peru many times. I find Anthropology a fascinating field, and try to impart that interest to my students. I emphasize collaborative teaching and learning in my classroom, with the expectation that students be active learners.

I am married and have a son, who wants to be an ornithologist.