Christian E. Peterson

Christian E. Peterson is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His research focuses on early complex societies, particularly the dynamics of social inequality and complexity in Neolithic China and Early Iron Age Southern Africa. He co-directs multi-scalar field projects in the Western Liao River Valley and Kruger National Park, and leads the Chiefdoms Datasets Project for cross-regional comparative analysis.

• PhD, University of Pittsburgh (2006)
• MA, University of Pittsburgh (2005)
• BA, University of Toronto (1999)

Peterson’s work employs quantitative methods, spatial analysis, and agent-based modeling to study settlement distribution, household archaeology, and demography. He investigates how inequality shapes societal growth and decline, with fieldwork in Hongshan ceremonial sites and Early Iron Age communities.

Recent publications highlight his NSF-funded research on trade routes, social complexity, and global comparisons of chiefdoms. Collaborators include institutions in South Africa, China, and the U.S. His teaching includes courses on decolonizing anthropology, quantitative archaeology, and field techniques.