Colin Quinn

Colin Quinn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University at Buffalo, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on understanding how social, economic, and political institutions transform over time, with particular emphasis on Eastern Europe and Eastern North America. He holds a PhD from the University of Michigan, an MA from Washington State University, and a BA from the University of Notre Dame.

Key research areas include political economy, landscape archaeology, mortuary theory, and evolutionary theory. Quinn’s work explores the origins of inequality, cremation practices, and community-engaged research. He employs methods such as geophysics, radiocarbon dating, and GIS to analyze archaeological data.

His publications highlight themes like Bronze Age Transylvania’s socioeconomic organization, climate change responses in North America, and interdisciplinary approaches to interpreting material culture. Recent work emphasizes collaborative projects on sustainable mining and public archaeology.

• Education:
  • PhD in Anthropology, University of Michigan
  • MA in Anthropology, Washington State University
  • BA in Anthropology, University of Notre Dame
• Research Projects:
  • Development of inequality in Eastern Europe
  • Human responses to climate change in Eastern North America
  • GIS and radiocarbon analyses in Transylvanian landscapes
• Teaching:
  • Undergraduate courses on European prehistory and materiality
  • Graduate courses on regional archaeology and methodological frameworks

Quinn’s work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical data, offering insights into how past societies navigated complex social and environmental challenges.