Catherine E. Pratt

Catherine E. Pratt serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Texas at Austin within the College of Liberal Arts, joining the department in 2023 after completing her PhD at UCLA.

Educational background:

• BA in Classical Archaeology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• MA and PhD in Archaeology, University of California-Los Angeles (2014)

Her research centers on socioeconomic complexity in the pre-Classical Mediterranean, with emphasis on value systems and cross-cultural exchange. Key interests include:

• Aegean Bronze Age political economies
• Mediterranean Early Iron Age transitions
• Amphora-based trade networks
• Ancient commodity markets
• Olive oil/wine production systems
• Climate adaptation in antiquity
• Athenian cultural identity formation

As co-director of the Bays of East Attica Regional Survey (BEARS) with Dr. Sarah Murray (University of Toronto), she leads fieldwork around Porto Rafti Bay, Greece. Her excavation experience includes the Mycenaean Palace of Nestor at Pylos and the Minoan settlement of Palaikastro on Crete.

Dr. Pratt teaches core courses including Ancient Mediterranean World (AHC 319D/CC 319D), Introduction to Greek Archaeology (CC 307C), Bronze Age Archaeology (CC 380), and Ancient Societies/Sustainability (CC 340), with recent offerings spanning Fall 2023 through Fall 2025.