Naoise Mac Sweeney

Naoise Mac Sweeney is a Professor in the Department of Classical Archaeology at the University of Vienna, serving as Deputy Head. Her research bridges classical archaeology with broader Mediterranean and Near Eastern studies, focusing on cultural identities, intercultural contacts, and the reception of antiquity.

• Current projects include the West Area of Samos Archaeological Project (WASAP) and the Lower Göksu Archaeological Salvage Survey in Turkey.
• Key teaching areas: Archaeology of Troy, Greek archaeology, and fieldwork methodologies.

Her scholarly work examines how ancient communities navigated identity construction through material culture, settlement patterns, and mythological narratives. Recent publications analyze the Syro-Anatolian culture complex, explore regional identities in Ionia, and interrogate modern political uses of classical antiquity.

While her fieldwork contributions to Bronze Age and Iron Age Anatolia are significant, she also engages critically with contemporary debates around ethnicity, colonialism, and the legacy of classical scholarship. Her 2023 monograph The West: A New History of an Old Idea challenges foundational myths of Western civilization.