Elsa Redmond

Elsa Marion Redmond is an American archaeologist at the American Museum of Natural History. She specializes in Latin American archaeology. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Early life and education Redmond was born Caracas and grew up in Venezuela. She attended the Madeira School. Her father, W. Parker Redmond, had studied at Rice University. Redmond began her undergraduate studies at Vassar College, before transferring to Rice University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 1973.

Research and career Redmond was appointed to the University of Connecticut in 1981. Her area of research interest focuses on the role of warfare in the emergence of centralized, hierarchical societies in Mesoamerica, and in particular, the role of conquest warfare in the formation of the Zapotec civilization. She began to work on the Oaxaca Valley with Charles S. Spencer. On El Palenque, an overgrown hillside site, Redmond excavated a complex of stone foundations with indications of houses. She directed a team of graduate students and local workers in excavating the site. In 2017, Redmond uncovered a palatial compound in El Palenque's plaza in Oaxaca Valley. Redmond used radiocarbon dating to identify the age of the palace complex. The palace, which is similar to others in the Mesoamerican states, is between 2,100 and 2,300 years old.

Awards and honors Redmond's leadership in the field of Mesoamerican Archaeology has led to her election to the following scholarly academies:

2007 Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2014 Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Books

Personal life Redmond is married to Archaeologist Charles S. Spencer. They reside in the Connecticut suburbs of New York City.