after finishing his undergraduate degree in 1933, donald collier became a field assistant with the museum of northern arizona. he performed archaeological survey work at tsegie and skeleton mesa with the first rainbow bridge monument valley exhibition. in 1935 he received ethnological field training among the kiowa with the laboratory of anthropology in santa fe, new mexico. his fieldwork in andean archaeology got its start in 1937 when he worked with peruvian archaeologist julio c. tello at the behest of prominent anthropologist alfred l. kroeber with whom collier studied at uc berkeley. collier and tello did survey and excavation work in casma valley in peru and collier later returned there for additional archaeological work in 1956.