About

Hello, my name is Andrew Brinn, and I study the archaeology of the ancient Andes through skeletal remains and stable isotope analysis. My research draws heavily both on knowledge of chemistry and biology as they relate to humans and human behavior and on archaeological theory. I owe these influences to my two distinct academic backgrounds, first as a premed student studying the natural sciences and how they apply to human health and behavior, and then as an archaeology student applying that knowledge in tandem with the social sciences as a bridge to the past.

During my first two years as an undergraduate, I was pursuing the premed track and was taking the prerequisite courses. From this courseload I gained a deep appreciation for chemistry and biology, especially how they create the underlying parameters within which human lives and behaviors can vary. Along the way, I began to take biological anthropology courses, which applied these natural sciences to studies of human evolution and the development of material and immaterial culture. From these courses I realized that not only did I want to study the biochemical parameters surrounding human behavior, I also wanted to study the behavior itself through archaeological investigation of the past.