Samuli Simelius

Samuli Simelius is an active University Researcher at the Centre for European Studies, University of Helsinki. He serves as Supervisor for the Doctoral Programme in History and Cultural Heritage and is affiliated with the Helsinki Inequality Initiative (INEQ) and Law, Governance and Space research group. His work bridges traditional archaeological methods with innovative digital approaches, particularly focusing on ancient social structures and urban environments.

Simelius specializes in Roman urbanism, social inequality in antiquity, and the application of digital humanities to historical research. His recent work heavily features AI-assisted analysis of ancient social stratification, particularly examining visual representations of inequality in Roman urban contexts. His research combines traditional archaeological fieldwork with cutting-edge digital methodologies, creating interdisciplinary bridges between historical studies, spatial analysis, and computational approaches. He has been actively involved in multiple research projects focused on Roman urban inequality, including the RUIn project and the Urbaani eriarvoisuus antiikin Roomassa initiative.

His publication trends show a significant shift toward digital methodologies in the last few years, with numerous 2024-2025 publications exploring AI applications in historical research, Roman urban inequality metrics, and visual reconstructions of ancient social structures. This represents an evolution from his earlier work which focused more on Pompeian gardens, Roman domestic architecture, and spatial analysis of ancient cities.

Simelius maintains an active presence in academic discourse through 108 recorded activities including conference presentations, public talks, and academic visits. His media engagement demonstrates a commitment to public scholarship, with 8 media contributions discussing historical accuracy in video games, ancient societal structures, and contemporary relevance of classical studies. His research is supported by multiple active projects including the RUIn project (2024-) and Urbaani eriarvoisuus antiikin Roomassa (2025-2028), funded by Kone Foundation and Säätiö Institutum Romanum Finlandiae.

He participates in international collaborations including the Casa della Regina Carolina Project (since 2018) and the Ancient Labor Network (2024), demonstrating extensive engagement with the global archaeological community. His institutional affiliations with the Helsinki Inequality Initiative position his work at the intersection of historical research and contemporary social inequality studies.