Edward Cleofe

Education

B.A. Anthropology, Brown University 

Areas of Interest

Exploring the possibilities of comparative research in the archipelago of the Spanish East Indies and the “vertical archipelago” of the Viceroyalty of Peru during the early modern period.

Profile

Edward Cleofe was born and raised in Southern California. He earned a BA in anthropology from Brown University in 2015. From 2015 to 2019, he worked for youth-serving nonprofits in Seattle, Washington. Edward is interested in exploring the archaeology of the Philippines, with a focus on ritual and burial deposit composition and spatial distribution. His previous research includes zooarchaeological and osteological work in northwest Alaska and the analysis of the spatial organization of several houses as a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates awardee with the Ifugao Archaeological Project (UCLA). Thematically, Edward’s work centers on exploring the intimate experiences of those navigating Spanish colonialisms and emergent capitalism. His research aims to situate these intimate histories in transnational and global historical contexts to explore how individuals negotiate the diverse permutations of colonization and capitalism. At the Cotsen Institute, Edward explores the colonialisms in the archipelago of the Spanish East Indies during the early modern period. Edward is deeply interested in public engagement, particularly projects that introduce archaeology to young people in ways that open up conversations about the contemporary relevance and power dynamics of how narratives of the past are produced.