Anthropologist Profile: Dr. Paul Mullins, Applied & Research Historical Archaeologist

Paul Mullins (Source: American Anthropological Association)

 

There is a popular saying that gets batted about frequently: history is written by the victors.  This phrase conveys that the powerful in a society or cultural group control the narrative about what is written and spoken about the past.  This notion, however, is being upended in various ways, not just within the discipline of history itself, but also by contributions of archaeologists.  A previous blog post addressed the role of archaeology in uncovering the truth of the Tulsa Race Riots, and today’s blog post is dedicated to discussing an archaeologist who dedicated his career to making right previous and current historical injustices.  This blog post will discuss the contributions of historical archaeologist, Dr. Paul Mullins.

 

Dr. Paul Mullins was a historical archaeologist who was employed by Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.  He started working as a faculty member at this institution in 1999 and continued until his death in April 2023.  During his tenure at the university he served as Department Chair, associate editor for Historical Archaeology,  and President of the Society of Historical Archaeology.  He also received a number of awards and accolades, including the Society of Historical Archaeology’s John Cotter Award (2000), which is awarded to early career historical archaeologists who made an outstanding contribution to the field, and was a 2016-2017 Charles R. Bantz Chancellor’s Community Fellow, alongside his colleague Susan Hyatt. 

 

Mullins and Hyatt received this fellowship due to their collaborative work showcasing misrepresentations of African American history in Indianapolis, which are the foundations for prejudice and racism against not only African Americans but other minorities throughout the city.  This was just a small part of Mullins dedication to righting historical injustices.  He dedicated much of his career to studying the intersections of material culture and race.  He concentrated on better understanding the roles of racism and urban renewal in razing African American neighborhoods throughout Indianapolis and how this led to the foundations of misrepresenting their history.  He conducted archaeological excavations, historical research, and collected oral histories all to provide an accurate history of vibrant African American neighborhoods that previously existed throughout Indianapolis.  He also did not shy away from revealing his institution’s role in these injustices.  His work was praised by several African American community members, who stated that they finally felt heard and valued after decades of having their communities taken from them.

 

Mullins’s work did not just include racism as it related to urban renewal.  He was also instrumental in correcting the historical record when it came to the death of George Tompkins.  Tompkins was buried in an unmarked grave due to presumption that he committed suicide, but the reality was far more sinister than that.  He had actually been lynched in 1922, but his murder was erased from the historical record.  Or so people thought.  Mullins uncovered this injustice and pushed for a correction, leading to a memorial being erected to accurately convey what happened to Tompkins.

 

Mullins’s work was widely published in scholarly books and articles, but he made sure his work was accessible to the public.  He published two blogs for the public.  One was dedicated to archaeology and materiality, and the other was focused on urban renewal, race, and prejudice in Indianapolis.  As Mullins’ son, Aidan, stated: “He was a scholar and an advocate.  He viewed his work is being necessary to not just document and understand the past, but to recognize these injustices that had been done ... so that we can begin working towards rectifying them.”

 

Mullins passed away in early 2023 after a long battle with brain cancer.  His life and contributions to righting historical wrongs will live on in his work and among the students, colleagues, and community members he mentored, worked with, and inspired.  His contributions are a testament to how one individual can make a huge difference.

 

References

Mullins, P. (2011). About. Retrieved from Archaeology and Material Culture: https://paulmullins.wordpress.com/about/

No Author. (n.d.). Featured Scholar: Paul Mullins, PhD. Retrieved from IUPUI: Translating Research Into Practice: https://trip.iupui.edu/Translational-Scholars/Featured-Translational-Scholars/Featured-Scholar?id=cc347d3e-1fdd-4778-88f0-3c64bdcd1c08

Rafford, C. (2023, April 18). 'He's changed my life:' IUPUI professor remembered for commitment to Black community. IndyStar, p. 1.

Schablitsky, J. (2023, April 17). Paul Mullins (1962-2023). Retrieved from Society for Historical Archaeology: https://sha.org/announcements/paul-mullins-1962-2023/