John Howland Rowe (June 10, 1918 – May 1, 2004) was an Americanarchaeologist andanthropologist known for his extensive research onPeru, especially on theInca civilization.

Rowe studiedclassical archaeology atBrown University (1935–1939) and anthropology atHarvard University (1939–1941). After graduating he traveled to Peru where he undertook archaeological research and taught until 1943. Between 1944 and 1946 he served as sergeant in the U.S. Combat Engineers in Europe. From 1946 to 1948 he studied theGuambía people inColombia for theSmithsonian Institution, returning briefly to Harvard in 1946 to complete his doctorate in Latin American history and anthropology in 1947. In 1948 he started teaching at theUniversity of California, Berkeley where he remained active until 1988. A prolific writer, Rowe authored more than 300 publications in English and Spanish between 1940 and 2005. He became a lifelong friend of the Andean explorersVince Lee and his wife Nancy. He mentored Lee, inviting him into his Institute of Andean Studies while offering continuous encouragement for both to continue with their explorations in Vilcabamba and elsewhere in Peru.

• Hastorf, Christine, Suzanne Calpestri and E. A. Hammel.In Memoriam. John Howland Rowe.
• Pfeiffer, Robert.John Howland Rowe; Bibliography 1940-1997.

• John Rowe interview, Oral History Collection — University of Florida