Scott Ortman

Scott Ortman is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Collaborative Synthesis in Archaeology at the University of Colorado's Institute of Behavioral Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Arizona State University (2010).

His research focuses on three core areas: integrating archaeology with traditional community histories (particularly among Tewa and Spanish communities in New Mexico), applying complex systems approaches to social evolution, and addressing modern societal challenges through archaeological insights. He directs the Social Reactors Project and co-leads the CyberSW Project, emphasizing interdisciplinary synthetic research.

Ortman’s fieldwork explores the Northern Rio Grande region's Protohistoric/Spanish Colonial periods and Mesa Verde’s ancestral Pueblo villages. He also analyzes large-scale archaeological datasets from the U.S. Southwest and the U.K. to study social development dynamics. His work bridges archaeology with social sciences, emphasizing collaboration with Indigenous communities.

Key projects include the CU-Pojoaque Youth Culture Camp and global comparative studies on inequality and urbanization. Ortman seeks graduate students with strong archaeological backgrounds, quantitative skills, and interests in interdisciplinary research and societal relevance.

His contributions span methodological innovations in population estimation, settlement scaling theory, and the application of complex systems frameworks to prehistoric and historical societies. He advocates for archaeology’s role in informing modern urban and environmental policies.