Laura Alvarez

Dr. Laura Alvarez is a Researcher in the Faculty of Classics at the University of Cambridge, specializing in Aegean and eastern Mediterranean archaeology from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (2000–800 BCE). She holds a PhD from the Free University of Brussels and the University of Paris 1-Panthéon Sorbonne (2021), focusing on ancient metallurgy and mirrors in the Aegean. Her work investigates cultural connectivity, mobility, and sensory experiences in the Bronze Age Aegean, with particular attention to Cyprus and Near Eastern interactions. She has held roles as a Sidney Sussex College Research Associate and a Wiener-Anspach Visiting Scholar, supported by grants from the William Lameere Foundation and the Goldwasser Foundation. In 2023, she won the prestigious Michael Ventris Memorial Award.

Research Focus: Dr. Alvarez’s research explores how material culture, such as mirrors and metal artifacts, reflects social dynamics, trade networks, and sensory engagement in ancient societies. Her current work emphasizes sensory experiences of second-millennium BCE Aegean populations and their interactions with artifacts and environments. She analyzes cultural proximities between Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel-Palestine, highlighting the interconnected Mediterranean world.

• Key Projects: Circulation of Cypriot metal mirrors; Bronze Age insularity and connectivity; mirror technology in the Near East and Aegean.
• Awards: Michael Ventris Memorial Award (2023), William Lameere Grant, Goldwasser Foundation Support.

Her publications span interdisciplinary analyses of mirrors, metallurgy, and cultural exchange, contributing to broader debates on materiality and ancient sensory practices.