Thea Messina

Thea Messina is a Research Fellow at the Department of Humanities, University of Catania, specializing in Aegean and Sicilian Bronze Age archaeology. She holds a Doctor of Sciences for Heritage and Cultural Production from the University of Catania (2022), a Diploma of Specialization in Archaeology from the Italian Archaeological School in Athens (2018), and a Master's Degree in Archaeology with Double Degree from the University of Catania and Selçuk University, Turkey (2015).

Her research focuses on cooking methods as cultural indicators in the Mediterranean during the 2nd millennium BC, ceramic analysis, and domestic spaces in Bronze Age societies. She has extensive field experience, having participated in archaeological excavations at Phaistos (Crete) since 2013, as well as at Calicantone, Valcorrente, and Calaforno in Sicily. Her methodological approach integrates material analysis, spatial distribution studies, and experimental archaeology.

Messina's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on understanding Bronze Age culinary practices through ceramic analysis and organic residue studies. Her recent publications reveal an expanding research trajectory that connects Sicilian and Minoan archaeological contexts, particularly examining how cooking practices reflect cultural identity and social organization. She employs advanced analytical techniques including high-resolution GC-MS for organic residue analysis to investigate pottery function.

• Member of the Cretan Archaeology Center since 2022
• Co-founder of CHAIN (Cultural Heritage Academic Interdisciplinary Network)
• Member of the editorial board of Ancient Crete journal since 2018
• Recipient of multiple research contracts including at University of Ghent (2023-2024) and Italian Archaeological School in Athens (2024)

Messina is actively involved in teaching as a contract professor for Aegean Archaeology at Politecnico di Bari and as a teaching assistant for Aegean Civilization courses at the University of Catania since 2018. She has organized numerous international conferences and workshops on cultural heritage topics, demonstrating her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge dissemination in the archaeological community.