Eric Jones

Eric Jones is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Colorado, serving as Undergraduate Director and Associate Department Chair. He holds a PhD from Pennsylvania State University (2008). His research focuses on historical archaeology, specializing in settlement ecology, landscapes, socioeconomic interactions, and demographic studies. He employs GIS-based spatial analysis, historical documents, and artifact studies to explore rural communities in the U.S., particularly late 19th–early 20th-century commercial farming dynamics. Current projects involve Upstate New York and Boulder County, Colorado. Jones emphasizes community-based, multiscalar approaches to understand how rural communities formed around family farms as businesses.

Education

• PhD in Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, 2008

Research Interests

Dr. Jones investigates how environmental, economic, and social factors shaped settlement patterns and community structures. Key themes include:

• GIS-driven landscape reconstructions
• Rural commercialization impacts on household practices
• Prehistoric and colonial-era population dynamics
• Indigenous settlement ecology before and after European contact

Grants and Collaborations

His work engages local communities, blending academic rigor with public archaeology. Recent collaborations include studies on dairy farming labor in Upstate New York and health transitions in 19th-century rural populations.

Labs/Teams

He leads the Settlement Ecology Research Group, focusing on interdisciplinary methods to study human-environment interactions. The group maintains an active fieldwork program and public outreach initiatives.