Daniel brings more than a decade of archaeological experience across laboratory, field CRM, nonprofit, and academic settings. He earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Fort Lewis College in 2017 and has since worked locally with Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and with Woods Canyon Archaeological Consultants in Cortez, Colorado. In 2021, he returned to graduate school at New Mexico State University, where he earned a master’s degree in 2023. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Binghamton University.
Alongside his doctoral research, Daniel works as a laboratory archaeologist at Crow Canyon and serves on the Center’s LiDAR Working Group. Since 2023, he has also participated in archaeological projects in Belize with Western Colorado University, conducting research on the ancient Maya.
Daniel’s research focuses on landscape archaeology, LiDAR, and monumentality, particularly the Chaco and Mesa Verde regions, reevaluating previous survey work, identify areas with potential for new ground investigation, and documenting monumental architecture and earthen features, with the broader goal of better understanding regional social organization and interaction in the Pueblo past.