Carol Diaz-Granados, PhD, RPA
Dr. Carol Diaz-Granádos, a native of St. Louis, is a distinguished professional archaeologist (RPA) with 39 years of experience as a Research Associate and Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her primary research focuses on American Indian rock art—both petroglyphs and pictographs—as well as symbolism, iconography, and related oral traditions.
Carol has authored, edited, or co-edited six books between 2000 and 2023, with her 2004 volume, Rock-Art of Eastern North America, earning an Outstanding Academic Title Award. She served as the senior editor for Picture Cave: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Mississippian Cosmos and recently published Explanations in Iconography: Ancient American Indian Art, Symbol, and Meaning (2023). Her scholarly contributions also include chapters in numerous edited volumes, academic journals, and two major museum exhibition catalogs.
Her research interests span both prehistoric and historic archaeology. Carol has conducted extensive work at the Cahokia Mounds Historic Site and directed 13 summers of archaeological excavations at the site of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair in Forest Park. Additionally, she led four summers of excavations at the historic Sutter-Meyer Farmhouse (1873) in St. Louis. From 2005 to 2010, Carol produced the Picture Cave Interdisciplinary Project with support from a Lannan Foundation grant.
An esteemed lecturer, Carol has presented at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, delivered an endowed lecture on Art and Anthropology at Ohio State University, and spoken at the St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, and the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City. Her contributions to archaeology continue to enrich our understanding of ancient American Indian art and cultural heritage.
Class Topics
Dr. Carol Diaz-Granádos has taught a diverse range of classes, including Excavations in Forest Park for 1904 World’s Fair Materials, The Prehistoric Rock Art of Missouri, The Beginnings of Art, and Body Art and Body Modification Around the World. Her lectures also explore unique topics such as Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Anthropology at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, American Indian Art, Symbol, and Meanings, and Ishi, the Last Yahi Indian. Additionally, Carol has taught courses on How Do We Measure Time? and Art and Archaeology of Central and South America, providing a comprehensive view of art and anthropology across different cultures and time periods.
