David Webster

David Webster received his doctoral degree in anthropology from the University of Minnesota in 1972. He originally intended to become a Near Eastern archaeologist, but he was deflected into Mesoamerican archaeology by the opportunity to work at the fortified site of Becan, Campeche, Mexico. This experience stimulated a long interest in warfare among the Classic Maya and other complex societies. His field work and research included projects in Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, and heavily focused on settlement survey, household archaeology, demographic reconstruction, and human ecology. Webster joined the faculty of the Anthropology Department at Penn State University in 1972 and spent his career there until his retirement in 2014. He is now emeritus professor at Penn State, where he continues an active program of writing and research.