Filippo Coarelli is a distinguished Professor of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the University of Perugia, specializing in the topography and history of Ancient Rome. His academic career has been dedicated to the study of Roman urban development, monuments, and religious sites. His primary research interests focus on the Topography of Ancient Rome , Roman antiquities , and the History of Early Rome . Coarelli's work provides critical insights into the spatial organization and historical development of Rome, particularly during the Republican period. His publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Roman urban planning and sacred spaces, with particular attention to the Roman Forum, Campus Martius, and other significant archaeological sites. His methodological approach combines detailed topographical analysis with historical context to reconstruct ancient urban landscapes. Member of Academia Europaea (1997) Professor Coarelli has made substantial contributions to the field through his extensive publications and editorial work, particularly his involvement with the Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae. His research continues to influence contemporary understanding of Roman urban development and archaeological interpretation.
Riccardo Contini is Full Professor of Semitic Philology at the University of Naples "L'Orientale" , where he has held a permanent chair since January 2004. Previously he taught at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the University of Rome "La Sapienza" and the Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, steadily advancing from Tenured Research Fellow to Full Professor. Education Laurea (M.A.) in Semitic Philology, University of Pisa & Scuola Normale Superiore, November 1978 Graduate study periods: UCLA (Los Angeles), Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome), École Pratique des Hautes Études IVe Section (Paris) Research Interests Professor Contini’s work centres on the linguistic history of the Semitic-speaking Near East . Key foci include comparative Semitic morphosyntax , Hebrew linguistics , Aramaic and Arabic dialectology , and the Syriac linguistic and historiographical tradition . He also pursues ethnolinguistic fieldwork in Yemen and Oman, producing data on living Arabic and Aramaic varieties. Across his publications he repeatedly combines philological precision with broader historical questions, ranging from Persian-period Jewish communities to medieval Syriac chronicles and 19th-century travellers’ records of Arabian speech. Scientific Awards 2007 Tartufari Prize for Semitics, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei – Italy’s most prestigious national recognition in the field. Editorial & Institutional Roles Chair, Center for Jewish Studies, University of Naples "L'Orientale" (since 2009) Editor, Testi del Vicino Oriente Antico series, Paideia Editrice (since 2006) Former Co-editor, Syriac section, History of Science , Istituto dell’Enciclopedia Italiana (2000-2001) Member, Advisory Board, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (since 2009) Former editorial board member, Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli – sez. Orientale (2003-2009) Research Funding His investigations have been supported by competitive grants from the University of Naples "L'Orientale" and the Italian Ministry of University . Laboratory & Fieldwork Field trips to Yemen and Oman underpin his ethnolinguistic analyses of contemporary Arabic and Neo-Aramaic dialects, feeding comparative data into his historical-linguistic reconstructions.
Almut Hintze is the Zartoshty Brothers Professor of Zoroastrianism at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where she also co-chairs the Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies. She earned her MPhil from Oxford, Dr phil from Erlangen, and Dr habil from Freie Universität Berlin, with research fellowships at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study and Clare Hall, Cambridge. Her research focuses on Indo-Iranian philology, Zoroastrian ritual performance, and digital preservation of ancient texts. She directs major projects including The Multimedia Yasna (MUYA), which combines ritual film documentation with critical editions of Avestan manuscripts, and AVINDIA exploring Avestan rituals in India. Her work integrates linguistics, archaeology, and digital humanities to analyze: Ritual semantics and textual transmission Sasanian administrative practices through bullae analysis Interreligious eschatological concepts Manuscript preservation using IIIF frameworks She leads a research team investigating Zoroastrianism through ERC and AHRC grants, including projects on Sasanian seals at Taxt-e Solaymān and digital annotation tools. Her publications demonstrate sustained focus on Avestan philology, ritual structure, and cross-cultural religious motifs, with recent work emphasizing archaeological-epigraphic synthesis. Honors include Fellowship of the British Academy (2015), presidency of Societas Iranologica Europaea (2011), and editorship of Corpus Avesticum . Major awards: ERC Advanced Grants (2015, 2023) AHRC Standard Grant (2023) Festschrift The Reward of the Righteous (2022) Election to Union Académique Internationale (2021) She supervises doctoral researchers working on Sasanian architecture, Neo-Zoroastrian movements, Avestan hymns, and Sogdian dhāraṇīs, maintaining active collaborations with Zoroastrian communities in India and Iran.
Roman Gundacker is a Senior Research Associate at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Vienna. He holds a doctorate 'sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae' (2009/2010) and has been active in academia since 2005. Master's (2005): University of Vienna, thesis on early Fourth Dynasty chronology Doctorate (2010): University of Vienna, dissertation on Pyramid Texts linguistic stratification His research focuses on Egyptian linguistics , lexicography , language history , and chronology . He leads the ERC Starting Grant project Challenging Time(s): A New Approach to Written Sources for Ancient Egyptian Chronology (since 2018), which evaluates historical timekeeping through textual analysis. Recent publications highlight trends in Old Kingdom royal names , Pyramid Texts analysis , and linguistic evolution from the Dreisilbengesetz to Zweisilbengesetz . His work spans historical linguistics , onomastics , and funerary literature . Scientific Awards : APART fellowship (2014–2017), Doctorate 'sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae'
Jörg Weilhartner is an academic affiliated with the Austrian Academy of Sciences at the Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology. His research focuses on Ancient Aegean writing systems, particularly Linear B, and the intersection of cult practices and religion in the Greek Late Bronze Age. Education : Not explicitly detailed in the text, but inferred from academic titles (Mag. Dr.) indicating advanced scholarly training. Research Interests : Specializes in Aegean scripts, gender representation in iconography, ritual practices, and palatial economies. Collaborations : Frequently works with Melissa Vetters, notably on gender and body image studies in the Late Bronze Age. Publications : Active from 2006 to 2019, with a focus on Linear B logograms, Mycenaean sealing practices, and religious symbolism. Academic Engagement : Co-organizes international conferences (e.g., 15th International Aegean Conference) and contributes to editorial projects.
M. Rahim Shayegan is Professor of Iranian and the Ancient Near East and the Eleanor and Jahangir Amuzegar Chair in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures (NELC) at UCLA. He serves as the founding director of the Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World (established 2017), the founding director of the Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions (established 2023), and the founder and chair of Global Antiquity (established 2020), an academic unit of the Humanities. Professor Shayegan received his PhD from Harvard University, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and was a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows before joining the NELC faculty at UCLA. His educational background includes PhD Candidacy in Iranian Philology at Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen; an MA in Iranian Philology and Ancient History from Institut des Études Iraniennes, Université de la Sorbonne; and a BA in Philosophy, Comparative Philology, and History from Albertus-Magnus-Universität zu Köln. Professor Shayegan's research focuses on Old and Middle Iranian philology and epigraphy, with specialization in Achaemenid, Arsacid, Seleucid, and Sasanian history. His work examines interactions between Mesopotamia and Iran, Greco-Roman and Iranian cultural exchanges, Ancient Iranian and Near Eastern religions, Greek historiography, and epic and oral traditions. His scholarship bridges philological rigor with historical analysis to illuminate the complex dynamics of ancient Iranian civilizations and their interactions with neighboring cultures. Professor Shayegan has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including membership in the Academia Europaea (2019-present), Corresponding Membership in the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2022-present), a Guggenheim Fellowship (2013-14), and the Ehsan Yarshater Book Award for his work 'Arsacids and Sasanians' (2012). He was also invited as the Yarshater conférencier in November 2022, delivering five lectures at INALCO/Collège de France. As an educator, Professor Shayegan teaches undergraduate courses including History of the Achaemenid, Arsacid (Parthian), and Sasanian Empires, Religions of Ancient Iran, and Early New Persian Epic Poetry and Prose. At the graduate level, he offers specialized courses in Old Persian Cuneiform, Avestan, and Advanced Western Middle Iranian languages, along with seminars on ancient Iranian history and religions. His leadership in establishing multiple research centers demonstrates his commitment to advancing the study of Iranian civilizations and promoting interdisciplinary scholarship.
Dr. Alfred Dunshirn is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Classical Philology, Medieval and Neolatin Studies, University of Vienna. His contact details include the email address alfred.dunshirn@univie.ac.at and phone number +43-1-4277-41911. He teaches courses related to Classical Literature Reception, Greek Language, History of Philosophy, and Ancient Religions. 2025W: VO Reception of Classical Literature (Motives) , UE Griechische Lektüre für LatinistInnen 2025S: UE Greek Grammar I , VO Greek Cultural History , VO Antique History of Religion , VO Greek Terminology 2024W: VO Reception of Classical Literature (Motives) , UE Griechische Lektüre für LatinistInnen His research interests span Classical Philology, Medieval Latin, Neolatin Studies, Greek Grammar, History of Philosophy (Antiquity), Ancient History of Religion, and Greek Cultural History. He specializes in Plato’s Sophistes and classical terminology.
Bernhard Palme serves as a Professor in the Department of Ancient History, Papyrology and Epigraphy at the University of Vienna, with office located at Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien, Room HP.180. His academic focus spans: Roman History, particularly the period from imperial division to the end of the Western Roman Empire (395-476 CE) Papyrology and Epigraphy as primary research methodologies Ancient Judaism in relation to biblical studies and museum collections Spatial analysis of power dynamics between religion and state in antiquity Professor Palme maintains an active teaching schedule across multiple semesters, offering both lecture-based (VO) and exercise-format (UE/VU) courses. His pedagogical approach integrates theoretical knowledge with practical fieldwork, notably through organized international field trips to Tunisia and Greece that require Greek language proficiency. His interdisciplinary work bridges historical studies with archaeology and material culture analysis. He contributes to both introductory education through STEOP (study entry and orientation phase) courses and advanced specialized instruction in editorial techniques for ancient texts.
