Onsite Archaeologist

Michael Creswell (MA, RPA) is an archaeologist and sustainability advocate based in Portland, Oregon. He earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from Appalachian State University (hence the nickname), and a Master’s degree from the University of Louisville. He has worked with AFAR since 2014, assisting in operating AFAR’s field school in Belize and the annual Maya at the Lago conference.

Sims has worked in Belize since 2007; prior to his work with AFAR, he served as a supervisor with BVAR. He is the director of AFAR’s Portugal field school, which studies the Roman villa site of Ammaia. He previously worked in Portugal for his thesis research, studying Neanderthal and early human Paleolithic sites with an international research team. In the meantime, between his involvements with AFAR each summer, Sims works throughout the West as an archaeology project manager for Digtech.

He also dedicates a lot of energy to public outreach and education, primarily through the Go Dig a Hole blog, several podcasts on the Archaeology Podcast Network, and a robust social media presence. He has a passion for developing early career researchers and making archaeology relevant in the present.