Ian Lindsay

Ian Lindsay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Purdue University's College of Liberal Arts. He joined Purdue in 2007 after completing his Ph.D. at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2006 and has served as co-director of Project ArAGATS, an international archaeological collaboration in the South Caucasus, for over two decades.

Lindsay received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2006. His academic trajectory includes appointment as Assistant Professor (2007-2014) before promotion to Associate Professor in 2014.

His research centers on the origins of complex societies in the South Caucasus during the Bronze and Iron Ages (3200-400 BC). He employs interdisciplinary methodologies including GIS, remote sensing, UAV photogrammetry, geophysics, and traditional archaeological techniques to investigate fortified landscapes, household archaeology, and political complexity. His work critically examines how digital data collection methods transform archaeological practice in post-colonial contexts, with particular focus on how local communities shaped sociopolitical institutions during the mid-2nd millennium BC.

Lindsay's publication record (2012-2020) reveals consistent thematic focus on South Caucasus archaeology with increasing integration of digital methodologies. Key trends include chronological modeling of Bronze/Iron Age transitions, geospatial analysis of fortress settlement systems, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. His work demonstrates how technological innovations like drone-based photogrammetry and mobile GIS enable new insights into political subjectivity, social cohesion, and militarism in ancient societies.

His teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple awards:

• Department of Anthropology Excellence in Teaching Award (2013-14)
• Department of Anthropology Excellence in Teaching Award (2016-17)
• College of Liberal Arts Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award (2016-17)
• Kenneth Kofmehl Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award (2016-17)

Lindsay actively involves students in Project ArAGATS field and laboratory work, providing hands-on experience with archaeozoology, paleobotany, and geophysical survey. His research has secured substantial funding from the National Science Foundation, Fulbright, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and Social Science Research Council, supporting international collaborations with Armenian institutions and American universities. Current grants focus on the Kasakh Valley Archaeological Survey examining long-term shifts in fortress settlement systems.

As co-director of Project ArAGATS, Lindsay leads an international consortium including Cornell University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of Armenia. The project maintains specialized teams for UAV photogrammetry, geophysical prospection, and paleoenvironmental analysis, operating a comprehensive archaeological database for the Tsaghkahovit Plain and Kasakh River valley.