
Nancy Gonlin is a Mesoamerican archaeologist whose specialties are the ancient Mayas. She founded the sub-field of Archaeology of the Night where ancient lifeways are explored and revealed from a nocturnal perspective. She is a Professor of Anthropology at Bellevue College in Washington state, USA and Editor-in-Chief of the Cambridge journal Ancient Mesoamerica. Gonlin is a member of the International Dark Sky Association.
Academic publications on the Archaeology of the Night are numerous, including the seminal 2018 co-edited volume on Archaeology of the Night, with two more co-edited volumes in press. Gonlin has published several book chapters and presented many papers on ancient nights.
Research Topics
Gonlin’s particular interests are in daily and nightly practices in the ancient world, nighttime household archaeology, nocturnal inequality in ancient cities, lychnology, archaeology of gender and the night, the Classic Mayas and the night, archaeology of darkness, modern light pollution and its effects on life, among other topics.
Social Media & Outreach
Academia.edu: Nan Gonlin – Academia.edu
TEDx Talk: “Life After Dark in the Ancient World.”
SAPIENS article: What the Archaeology of Night Reveals.
Podcast: “Episode 35: Archaeology of the Night.”
Blog: “Archaeology of the Night.”
INSN Role: Leader of ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE NIGHT