Olivier Defaux

Olivier Defaux is a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) in Berlin, where he investigates the transmission and historical context of antique scientific texts using computational humanities methodologies, with a focus on Ptolemy's Geography.

Education

• Bachelor's/Master's in Ancient History and Archaeology, University Lumière Lyon 2
• PhD in History of Ancient Sciences (2016), Excellence Cluster Topoi and Humboldt University, Berlin. Dissertation: "The origins of Ptolemy’s map of the Iberian Peninsula."
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Excellence Cluster Topoi (February–July 2016)

Research Interests

Dr. Defaux specializes in the history of ancient scientific knowledge, employing digital tools to analyze the preservation and transformation of classical texts. His work bridges historical scholarship with computational methods to examine Ptolemaic cartography, the transmission of Greek and Roman scientific works, and the material culture of premodern knowledge systems. Key emphases include the interplay between textual traditions and geographical representations in antiquity.