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Nicola Laneri is a Full Professor of Archaeology and Art History of the Ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean at the University of Catania, Department of Humanities. He also serves as Director of the School of Religious Studies at CAMNES in Florence. His academic career includes visiting positions at Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Leiden University, and the Middle East Technical University in Ankara. University: University of Catania School: Department of Humanities Academic Rank: Professor Email: nlaneri@unict.it, nicolalaneri@hotmail.com Office: Palazzo Ingrassia (Via Biblioteca 4), Catania Office Hours: Monday and Thursday, 9:00–12:00 Website: disum.academia.edu/nicolalaneri Education and Academic Appointments: Ph.D., University of Naples L'Orientale (1999) Fulbright Research Scholar, Columbia University (2000) Research Fellow, Italian Academy at Columbia University (2000) Visiting Professor, Middle East Technical University, Ankara (2002–2004) Research Fellow, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago (2005) Erasmus Visiting Professor, Leiden University (2015) Research Interests: Nicola Laneri specializes in the archaeology of religion, funerary practices, and material culture in the Ancient Near East. His work investigates the development of religious systems, ritual transformation, and socioeconomic dynamics across Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the Eastern Mediterranean. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Recent Publications and Research Trends: His recent publications reflect a strong focus on the material dimensions of religion, funerary archaeology, and urban development. Key themes include the emergence of polytheism, the social analysis of death rituals, and ceramic production technologies. The 15 most recent works demonstrate a consistent engagement with interdisciplinary approaches, combining archaeology, anthropology, and textual analysis to reconstruct ancient belief systems and socioeconomic structures. Scientific Awards: Laurentum Prize (2024) Advising and Research Grants: Laneri supervises graduate students in topics ranging from Mesopotamian iconography to contemporary museum practices. He has directed or co-directed major archaeological projects including the Hirbemerdon Tepe Archaeological Project (2003–2016), the GaRKAP in Azerbaijan (since 2017), and the Baghdad Urban Archaeological Project at Tell Muhammad (since 2022). He is Principal Investigator of the PRIN 2020 project 'Godscapes: Modeling Second Millennium BCE Polytheisms in the Eastern Mediterranean,' funded by MUR. Labs and Research Teams: He leads international research collaborations involving scholars from Italy, Azerbaijan, the United States, and the Netherlands. His teams integrate archaeological excavation, material analysis, and digital modeling to explore ancient urban and religious landscapes. He is actively involved in training the next generation of archaeologists and fostering cross-institutional academic partnerships.

• Archaeology of the Ancient Near East
• Art History of Western Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean
• Ancient Religious Practices
• +6 more

Romolo Loreto is Associate Professor of Archaeology and Art History of the Ancient Near East at the University of Naples 'L'Orientale' since 2019. He directs multiple international archaeological missions including the Italian Archaeological Mission in Saudi Arabia , Italian Restoration Mission in Saudi Arabia , and University of Naples archaeological projects in Oman . His work spans Neolithic to Early Islamic Arabia with a focus on Dumat al-Jandal, al-Jawf, and coastal Oman. Research Interests: Specializing in Arabian Peninsula archaeology, Loreto investigates settlement dynamics, trade routes, religious architecture, and coastal adaptations. His geoarchaeological work combines satellite imagery with fieldwork to reconstruct paleoenvironments. Key projects include Nabataean studies in Saudi Arabia and Iron Age ichthyophagoi communities in Oman. Scientific Awards: Al-Ansary Prize (2017) - Best non-Saudi archaeologist under 40 in Saudi Arabia SIR 2014 grant (€260,000) - Scientific Independence of Young Researchers Grants & Lectures: Holds multiple annual grants from Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Arabian Peninsula missions. Delivered over 80 lectures internationally, including at the Biennale Venice (2025) and ICAANE Lyon (2025). Curator of exhibitions like 'Roads of Arabia' (Rome, 2020) and 'The Assyrians at the Shadow of Vesuvius' (Naples, 2019).

• Archaeology of Saudi Arabia
• Ancient Near East
• Pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula
• +6 more

Paola Corò is an Associate Professor of Assyriology at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, specializing in the study of ancient Near Eastern civilizations with a focus on Babylonian texts from the Hellenistic period. She is affiliated with the Department of Humanities and the Research Institute for Digital and Cultural Heritage, based at the Malcanton Marcorà campus. Her research emphasizes the intersection of material culture, linguistic practices, and sociopolitical dynamics in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly exploring scribal traditions, bilingual texts, and the impact of Hellenistic rule on local communities. Corò teaches courses on Assyriology, Semitic epigraphy, and cultural heritage management at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her work integrates archaeological findings with textual analysis to reconstruct economic, religious, and administrative systems of ancient societies. Recent research highlights include studies on Seleucid-period documentation, gender representation in cuneiform sources, and the materiality of clay tablets. Her publications span over two decades, with a focus on Babylonian administration, multilingualism, and the transition between Persian and Hellenistic eras. Key themes include the role of scribes in knowledge transmission, temple economies, and the preservation of cuneiform traditions amid cultural shifts.

• Assyriology
• Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Cuneiform Studies
• +4 more

Erica Scarpa is a Researcher at the Department of Humanities, Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Her work focuses on the intersection of Ancient Near East Studies , Digital Humanities , and Prosopography , with particular emphasis on Eblaite society and Kassite Babylonian administration. University: Ca' Foscari University of Venice Department: Department of Humanities Academic Rank: Researcher Her research involves advanced spatial data analysis and data mining techniques applied to cuneiform archives, including the digitization of epigraphic material from the Ebla Central Archive (L.2769). She contributes to projects like the Ebla Digital Archives and a Digital Prosopography Project on Kassite Babylon. Publication Trends reveal expertise in Eblaite administrative structures , Kassite official activities , and historical network analysis . She actively publishes in journals (e.g., Studia Eblaitica ) and conference proceedings (e.g., Egypt and the Ancient Near East between Past and Future ). Contact: Email: erica.scarpa@unive.it Email: 835553@stud.unive.it

• Ancient Near East Studies
• Digital Humanities
• Assyriology
• +5 more

Paola Corò is an Associate Professor in Assyriology at the Department of Humanities , Ca' Foscari University of Venice . Her institutional email is coropa@unive.it , and she is based at the Malcanton Marcorà campus. Specializes in Hellenistic Babylonian texts from Uruk Focuses on epigraphy , digital humanities , and machine learning applied to cuneiform studies Research highlights : 2024 publications on Ashurbanipal's library tablets and Seleucid royal narratives 2023 work on Greek identity markers in Babylonian sources 2022 monograph on temple property management in Hellenistic Uruk Scientific recognition : Premio Giovani Ricercatori (2001) Research grants (2003-2005, 2006-2007, 2017-2018) Member of KASKAL journal's Scientific Committee Coordinates the LIBER project (2019-2021) applying machine learning to cuneiform tablets, and participates in the International Association for Assyriology (IAA). She has taught Assyriology at both undergraduate and graduate levels, including blended learning formats and international Erasmus+ programs.

• Assyriology
• Epigraphy
• Ancient History
• +4 more

Gian Pietro Basello is an Associate Professor of Assyriology (L-OR/03) at the University of Naples 'L'Orientale' since December 2020, affiliated with the Department of Asia, Africa and Mediterranean. His academic career includes previous positions as a fixed-term researcher (2017-2020) and multiple contract teaching positions at the University of Bologna. Basello holds a Laurea in Storia Orientale from the University of Bologna (1993-2000) and a PhD in Ancient Near East Studies from the University of Naples 'L'Orientale' (2001-2005). He has received national qualifications (Abilitazione Nazionale) for both Associate Professor (2014-2020, 2018-2024) and Full Professor (2023-2034) positions in sector 10/N1 (Cultures of the Ancient Near East, Middle East and Africa). His research focuses on Elamite language, culture, and history, with particular emphasis on Achaemenid studies, ancient Western Asia, and cuneiform documentation. Basello has conducted extensive work on Elamite calendars, royal inscriptions, administrative texts, and the relationship between Elamite and Persian cultures during the Achaemenid period. His methodological approach combines philological analysis with archaeological evidence to reconstruct ancient Near Eastern societies. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on Elamite language documentation, Achaemenid administration, and material culture studies. The research trends show increasing attention to digital approaches in epigraphy, comparative analysis of administrative systems across ancient Near Eastern cultures, and interdisciplinary studies combining linguistic, archaeological, and historical perspectives. His work spans from the Bronze Age Elamite civilization through the Achaemenid period, with particular attention to cultural continuity and transformation. National qualification for Associate Professor position (sector 10/N1), 2014-2020 National qualification for Associate Professor position (sector 10/N1), 2018-2024 National qualification for Full Professor position (sector 10/N1), 2023-2034 Basello has supervised numerous master's and doctoral theses at universities including Naples 'L'Orientale,' Bologna, Tehran, and Sydney, primarily in philological and archaeological fields related to Elam and Achaemenid Iran. He serves as a peer reviewer for prestigious journals including Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, and Iranica Antiqua. His research is supported through significant projects including the DARIOSH project on Achaemenid royal inscriptions and the PRIN 2020 project on Iranian and non-Iranian language contacts. As supervisor, he oversees the MSCA-IF project 'Villages to Empire: 4000 Years of Death and Society in Elam.' Basello is an active member of the DARIOSH project (Digital Achaemenid Royal Inscription Open Schema Hypertext) as an Elamite and Babylonian specialist, collaborating with institutions including ISMEO, the Louvre, the National Museum of Iran, and the Parsa-Pasargadae Research Foundation. He also participates in the Italian Ethnolinguistic Mission in Tajikistan and serves on the doctoral committee for the 'Asia, Africa and Mediterranean' program at the University of Naples 'L'Orientale'.

• Assyriology
• Elamite Language and Culture
• Achaemenid Studies
• +5 more

Simonetta Ponchia is an Associate Professor at the University of Verona within the Department of Culture and Civilizations. Her academic work focuses on the history of the Ancient Near East, particularly Syro-Mesopotamian and Anatolian civilizations during the first millennium BC. Her research interests include: Historiography and legal systems of the Ancient Near East Mesopotamian literary traditions (Sumerian-Akkadian) Cultural interactions between Asian and Mediterranean civilizations Slavery and social structures in ancient societies State policies and geographical dynamics in Western Asia She teaches courses such as History of the Ancient Near East and Languages and scripts of the Ancient Near East , and contributes to interdisciplinary research groups like EastWest that examine cross-cultural interactions. Her work involves field projects in central Turkey and studies of Neo-Assyrian medical texts. Her office is located at Palazzo di Lettere Nuovo, Floor 3, Room 3.12 , and she can be reached via telephone at +39 045802 8365 or email at simonetta.ponchia@univr.it .

• Ancient History
• Assyriology
• Syro-Mesopotamian Societies
• +3 more

Geraldina Rozzi is a Researcher at the Department of Humanities , Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Her work focuses on ancient Mesopotamian civilizations, integrating philological, historical, and sociocultural perspectives. Fields of Interest: Assyriology, Gender Studies, Literary Analysis, Religious Studies, Epistemology, and Ancient Near Eastern Studies. Research Trends: Her publications examine Mesopotamian lexical lists as knowledge systems, analyze incest as a literary and societal motif, and explore philosophical and religious themes in Akkadian hymns and Babylonian letters. Her work bridges textual analysis with broader cultural and ideological contexts. Publications: Spanning 2018–2021, her research includes interdisciplinary contributions to conferences and edited volumes, alongside journal articles and book reviews. Labs & Collaborations: Active in collaborative academic networks, she participates in the Trieste-Udine-Venice Interuniversity Doctorate in Ancient Studies and contributes to projects integrating archaeology, philology, and historical research.

• Assyriology
• Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Gender Studies
• +3 more