Kyle Freund, Ph.D., is an anthropological archaeologist and Principal Investigator at Far Western Anthropological Research Group in Henderson, NV. His specializations include lithic analysis, obsidian sourcing, and the study of exchange and long-distance relations. Prior to joining Far Western, Freund served as an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and BankAtlantic Endowed Teaching Chair at Indian River State College in Ft. Pierce, FL.

Freund’s regional specializations span the Old and New Worlds, including island and coastal contexts of the Mediterranean and Florida peninsula as well as desert environments of the U.S. Great Basin and Arizona. His research converges on the reflexive relationship between material culture and long-term social processes and a particular emphasis on how obsidian sourcing studies can be used to address questions of broad anthropological significance. In the central Mediterranean,  Freund’s research has focused on the role of obsidian exchange and gift-giving practices in structuring early farming societies and on the transformative influence of incipient metallurgy within prehistoric social networks. As part of Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Freund is studying early hunter-gatherers of the Old River Bed Delta of Western Utah and the Papaguería of Southwest Arizona.

Freund’s research is published in a wide variety of peer-reviewed journals, books, and technical reports, and he has presented his work at over 50 venues in more than 10 countries. He has also served on numerous committees and boards, including within the Society for American Archaeology, the Register of Professional Archaeologists, the International Association for Obsidian Studies, and the Society for Archaeological Sciences."