A pair of University of Arizona anthropologists were elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, joining an incoming class of 252 leaders from academia, research, government and the arts. One of the nation's oldest and most prestigious learned societies, the academy gathers accomplished individuals to advance knowledge and address societal issues.

Barbara Mills, Regents Professor Emerita, and Takeshi Inomata, Regents Professor – both in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences – were named to the academy. 

"This is a well-deserved honor," said Lori Poloni-Staudinger, dean of the college. "Takeshi and Barbara are world-renowned archaeologists in our top-ranked School of Anthropology, making vital contributions to our understanding of past civilizations. We are proud to have such impactful scholars in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences."

The academy was chartered in 1780 and established to recognize the accomplishments of academic and industry professionals addressing the greatest challenges facing the fledging republic. The earliest inductees include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton. In the modern era, the academy acknowledges the increasing diversity of its members and the broader array of expertise they possess by including a variety of professionals, including art critics, actors, computer scientists and organizational leaders.

Uncovering the American Southwest

Mills called her inclusion a great honor, saying she never even imagined someone would nominate her for such a prestigious organization.

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"I would certainly call it a humbling experience, and a high point in my career," she said. "Earning this recognition really reinforces the value of my work to the wider scholarly community. I felt much the same when I became a Regents Professor."

An anthropological archeologist whose interests broadly include the American Southwest, Mills focuses on ceramics and material culture, as well as architecture. She is interested in studying technological innovation and how improved building techniques influenced the development of various cultures. She has worked in the Silver Creek area of Arizona, including a multi-year project with the White Mountain Apache Tribe, as well as in the Zuni, Chaco, Mimbres, Grasshopper and Greater Hohokam areas. 

Outside of the U.S., Mills has worked in Guatemala, Kazakhstan and Turkey.

She calls anthropology one of the most interdisciplinary fields because it not only draws from a variety of techniques and disciplines, but because there is a range of anthropological pursuits, from cultural to biological and linguistic, as well as archeology. 

"Anthropologists really try to understand the diversity of human societies in all times and places," Mills said. "If we stick to just what we see today to interpret the past, then we won't recognize the unique events or processes that might have happened in the past."

In addition to traditional methods, Mills also relies on large datasets and regional synthesis efforts to uncover findings that conventional techniques may overlook. Her work employs social network analysis, which maps and measures relationships between groups in the past to better understand historical societies and their migration. Her most recent research includes the cyberSW database, which logs information from archeological sites throughout the Southwest and provides tools for the display and analysis of that data.

Mills' own anthropological journey began in high school before attending the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a bachelor's degree, then a master's and Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico – all in anthropology. Now a recently retired Regents Professor, Mills said she looks forward to the findings of anthropological archeology's next generation as she continues her own research.

Mapping the Maya 

Echoing his colleague, Inomata called his inclusion into the academy a flattering surprise.

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"I came from Japan to the United States as a student and started my career here. At the beginning, I was not sure what was going to happen – and to earn this recognition is a great honor," he said. "I am grateful to the many people who have helped and supported me, and fortunate to have such nice friends, colleagues and mentors. I am very happy to be at the University of Arizona and the School of Anthropology, which are internationally recognized for academic achievement."

Inomata earned a bachelor's degree in archeology and a master's degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Tokyo before completing a Ph.D. in anthropology from Vanderbilt University. He joined the U of A in 2000, and was named a Regents Professor in 2023. His interest in archeology began with studying Japanese and Chinese sites before a trip to Honduras introduced him to Maya history. Now, he uses advanced imaging technology to uncover the culture's distant past.

Inomata often employs airborne light detection and ranging – known as lidar – to map sites in ways that have changed how the world looks at ancient Mesoamerica. Working with an international team of colleagues, Inomata in 2017 discovered a previously unknown ancient site at Aguada Fénix near Tabasco, Mexico. The site – which is the largest pre-Hispanic site in the region – dates to sometime between 1050 and 700 B.C., and contains the oldest monumental constructions ever found in the Maya culture. The discovery has since reshaped how researchers view the history of the Maya, and how history is taught in universities around the world.

While archeological work continues at Aguada Fénix, Inomata is also training the next generation of researchers, both at the U of A and abroad. He called that work vital to the future of the profession and to deepening humanity's understanding of itself.

"Archeologists see human history as a connected whole: Our present society is the result of processes that unfolded in the past," Inomata said. "We study past societies, sometimes from the distant past, but we are not examining something unrelated to today's world. Instead, we view it as part of the broader human experience. By understanding what happened in the past we can better make sense of what we are experiencing now and gain insight into where are heading."