Michele Koons, Ph.D., is Director of Anthropology and Curator of Archaeology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. She studies ancient complex societies, focusing on political dynamics, social networks, and human–environment interactions. Her research spans the United States, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, France, and China. Koons earned degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Denver, and Harvard University, where she studied the Moche culture of Peru. She co-directs Proyecto Paisajes Arqueológicos de Pañamarca in Peru and curates the Museum’s archaeological collections.