About
Alison Rittershaus is a Lecturer and Curator of the Anthropology Collections at Cornell University. She works in Olin Library and engages with archaeology, material culture, and museum studies. Her academic interests include the intersection of cultural heritage and institutional practices.
Her teaching spans museum education, middle school history, archaeological field instruction, and college classrooms, emphasizing object-based inquiry. Research focuses on human-nature relationships in Roman art/architecture at sites like the Bay of Naples and Gabii Project (since 2011), examining material culture and collecting ethics.
- Advisory council member, Mediterranean Antiquities Provenance Research Alliance
- Expertise in forged antiquities (e.g., ceramic Roman lamps)
- Curator dedicated to critical engagement with university collections
She teaches courses like ANTHR/ARKEO 4231: Fakes and the Authentic and supervises independent studies and honors theses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
