Dr. Danielle Dadiego
Adjunct professor, UWF Anthropology Department Research associate, UWF Archaeology Institute Assistant lab manager for the archaeology lab
Dadiego holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Southern Maine. She earned her master’s degree in historical archaeology from the University of West Florida and went on to receive a doctorate from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2020. She was awarded the Society for American Archaeology's Dissertation Award, one of the most prestigious dissertation awards given. Her dissertation, "Beads, Bullets, and Brokerage: Exploring Economic Agency in Eighteenth-Century West Florida," explored the effectiveness of Spanish economic institutions in a borderland region.
How did you develop a passion for archaeology?
I was always fascinated with Egyptian and Roman history and culture and would watch the Discovery Channel at any opportunity. I was also interested in the pop culture of archaeology including Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. Of course, real archaeology is very different, but still exciting in my eyes. I went directly into an anthropology program in 2004 at the University of Southern Maine and was instantly hooked after my first archaeology class.
How did UWF prepare you for graduate school and your career?
After graduating with a bachelor’s in anthropology from the University of Southern Maine, I decided to pursue graduate school at the University of West Florida. I had developed an interest in historical archaeology and heard that UWF had a great underwater and terrestrial program with lengthy field schools. At UWF I fell in love with Spanish colonial archaeology and Spanish and Native trade interactions. UWF gave me ample field experience and prepared me for a professional career in archaeology. I got a job as a project manager and historical archaeologist for a Cultural Resource Management firm based out of Alabama the minute I earned a master’s degree from UWF. The company was impressed by the experience and training I received during my time at UWF. After a year I decided to apply to a doctoral program in California.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
This is a very difficult question to answer because I absolutely love all aspects of archaeology. Everyday something new happens and I am constantly working on multiple projects. Never a boring moment if you ask me! I have been doing it for nearly 20 years and I do not plan on stopping. One highlight, in particular, is uncovering artifacts that have not been touched for hundreds or thousands of years and sharing that excitement with students and the public. The "tangible history" aspect of archaeology is one of its greatest strengths. I also enjoy researching and reading handwritten letters from the colonial period and getting some insight into the minds of the people of the past. We cannot understand where we are going and how we got to where we are today without recognizing where we came from.