Kyle is a Principal Investigator at Far Western and member of the company’s X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Laboratory. His specializations include lithic analysis, obsidian sourcing, GIS and spatial statistics, and field survey. Prior to joining Far Western, Kyle served as an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and BankAtlantic Endowed Teaching Chair at Indian River State College in Ft. Pierce, FL. He holds a Ph.D. from McMaster University, an M.A. from the University of South Florida, and a B.A. from the University of Florida.
Kyle’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. He has spearheaded a variety of major research initiatives that demonstrate his ability to effectively oversee project development, execution, and advisory services related to cultural resource management and compliance.
Kyle’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 Register of Professional Archaeologists, the Society for American Archaeology, the International Association for Obsidian Studies, and the Society for Archaeological Sciences.
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Kyle’s Featured Projects
- Hill AFB UTTR 5,000 Acre Survey, Utah
- MCAS Yuma 20,000 Acre Survey, Arizona
- MCAS Yuma 18,000 Acre Survey, Arizona
Kyle’s Featured Publications
Freund, K.P., L.R.M. Johnson, D. Duke, & D. Craig Young
2022
The character and use of the Ferguson Wash obsidian source in eastern Great Basin prehistory. Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology 42(1): 101-115.
Johnson, L.R.M., J. Ferguson, K.P. Freund, L. Drake, & D. Duke
2021
Evaluating obsidian calibration sets with portable X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) instruments. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 39: 103126.
Freund, K.P., L. Clark, & K. Gidusko
2019
Service learning in archaeology and its impact on perceptions of cultural heritage and historic preservation. Journal of Archaeology and Education 3(5): 1-21.
Freund, K.P.
2018
A long-term perspective on the exploitation of Lipari obsidian in central Mediterranean prehistory. Quaternary International 468a: 109-120.
Freund, K.P.
2013
An assessment of the current applications and future directions of obsidian sourcing in archaeological research. Archaeometry 55(5): 779-793.
Access Kyle’s publications at researchgate.net or academia.edu.
Kyle’s Outreach Activities
- Register of Professional Archaeologists Standards Board (2023-present)
- General Secretary, Society for Archaeological Sciences (2017-2023)
- Society for American Archaeology 2019 Annual Meeting Program Committee
- President, International Association for Obsidian Studies (2018-2020)
- Society for American Archaeology Committee on Ethics (2015-2018)