I am an anthropologist specializing in the historical archaeology of the Spanish colonies in the New World. My research draws on contemporary social theory to examine the cultural significance of a wide range of materialities associated with complex processes of ethnogenesis and identity formation in early capitalist contexts. My studies have focused on the development of modern lifestyles among urban elites in the northern Andes and, more recently, on the social life of slavers and slaves in late-seventeenth century Panama. My other research interests include the anthropology of early modern piracy, material culture theory, museum anthropology and the politics of archaeological heritage in Latin America.