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Yumiko IshihamaView profile

Professor

• Tibetan History
• Mongolian History
• Qing Dynasty History
• +5 more

Yumiko Ishihama is a Professor at Waseda University's School of Education, specializing in the history of Tibet, Mongolia, and the Qing dynasty, with a focus on Buddhist political thought and Tibetan Buddhism. She earned her PhD in Literature from Waseda University and has led numerous JSPS-funded research projects. Her work extensively utilizes Tibetan, Mongolian, and Manchu sources to explore the intersections of religion and politics in Inner Asia. She is an active member of the Society for Inner Asian History, Mongolian Studies Association, and Tibetan Studies Association. In addition to her academic roles, she maintains an educational website on Tibetan culture and has had personal encounters with the 14th Dalai Lama, which significantly influenced her scholarly direction. Education: PhD in Literature, Waseda University Research Interests: Ishihama's research centers on the historical relationships between Tibet, Mongolia, and the Qing dynasty, with a particular emphasis on how Tibetan Buddhism influenced political structures and ideologies. She examines primary sources in Tibetan, Mongolian, and Manchu to reconstruct the religious and political narratives of Inner Asia. Her work sheds light on the concept of 'Buddhist government' (chos srid) and how it was shared and implemented across Tibetan, Mongol, and Manchu polities. Recent Articles and Trends: Her recent publications focus on the rituals and political symbolism of the Dalai Lama and Jebtsundampa incarnations, the role of Mongol princes in bridging Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhist worlds, and the intricate diplomatic relationships during the Qing dynasty. These works highlight her expertise in analyzing ceremonial practices, political expressions in religious texts, and cross-cultural exchanges in Inner Asia. Research Projects and Grants: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Tibetan Buddhist interactions under Russian rule (2017–2020) Comprehensive studies on Tibet and Mongolia during nation-building periods (2014–2017) Medieval Tibetan church history and biographies of Tsongkhapa (2004–2005) Basic research on Buddhist terminology in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Mongolian, and Chinese (2000–2001) Teaching and Seminars: She offers a wide range of courses in Asian history, Tibetan history, and social education content studies at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her seminars are known for their depth and use of primary sources, encouraging students to engage with historical texts in their original languages.

Mirela IvanovaView profile

Lecturer

• Byzantine History
• Medieval History
• Slavic History
• +4 more

Dr. Mirela Ivanova serves as Lecturer in Medieval History at the Department of History, School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities, University of Sheffield since 2021. Her research centers on Byzantine intellectual and social history with particular focus on Central and Eastern European medieval contexts, examining written culture, multilingualism, and cultural transmission across political boundaries. Her scholarship operates at two interconnected levels: analyzing medieval textual production as a tool for socio-political change, and critically examining how 19th-20th century nationalist projects shaped Byzantine historiography and heritage practices. Current projects investigate how historiographical frameworks influence contemporary heritage management in Eastern European states, bridging medieval studies with postcolonial theory. Recent publications including the monograph Inventing Slavonic: Cultures of Writing between Rome and Constantinople (2024) and co-edited volume Is Byzantine Studies a Colonialist Discipline? (2023) demonstrate methodological innovation through combining manuscript analysis with critical heritage studies. Her work consistently explores the tension between medieval textual creation and modern identity politics. Scientific recognition includes: BBC/AHRC New Generation Thinker (2021) Junior Research Fellowship, University of Oxford Research Fellowship, Koç University Residential Fellowship, Centre for Advanced Study in Sofia Dr. Ivanova actively engages public audiences through History Today, Los Angeles Review of Books, and BBC Radio 3 appearances. She develops university access initiatives for UK schools while teaching undergraduate courses including Byzantine Intersectionality and postgraduate Presenting the Past , emphasizing critical approaches to historical narratives and heritage.

Stefano RapisardaView profile

Professor

• Romance Philology
• Linguistics
• Medieval Philology
• +11 more

Stefano Rapisarda is a Full Professor of Romance Philology and Linguistics at the Department of Humanities, University of Catania. He has held academic positions since 2002, progressing from Researcher to Associate Professor (2018) and Full Professor (2021). He is President of the Master's Degree in "Linguistic Sciences for Education and Interculturality" at the Special Teaching Structure of Ragusa and serves on multiple university commissions. He has been delegated to lead the Special Educational Structure of Ragusa and represents the University of Catania on the Board of Directors of the Ibleo University Consortium. His research focuses on three interrelated areas: the philology of medical-scientific and magical-divinatory texts; intercultural contacts in the Mediterranean from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern period; and the intersections between philology, history, politics, and ideology. He has conducted extensive textual editions of medieval works, including the Thesaurus pauperum , Nicole Oresme’s Contre la divination , and various chiromantic and scapulomantic texts. His work emphasizes material manifestations of interculturality such as bilingual glossaries, multilingual inscriptions, and codices with mixed scripts. The 15 most recent publications highlight a sustained engagement with medieval divination, philology in wartime, intercultural textual practices, and the political dimensions of language and scholarship. Key themes include prognostication, textual criticism, linguistic hybridity, and the role of intellectuals during periods of conflict. His recent books examine the global history of the Spanish language and the ideological uses of philology in the 19th and 20th centuries. Scientific Awards and Honors: Candidate for the 'Premio Prezzolini per la Traduzione Letteraria' Qualified under the Fulbright Program for teaching at Northwestern University (2011) Advising and Grants: While no specific students are listed, Rapisarda has been a member of doctoral committees at the University of Macerata and the University of Catania. He has served as Principal Investigator on multiple funded research projects, including 'Scholars in Arms' (€15,500), 'Transnational Intellectual Networks' (€22,500), and 'Scholarship in Wartimes' (€30,000), managing over €70,000 in institutional funding. He has contributed to major national research initiatives (PRIN) and international collaborations, including a HERA-funded proposal on academics in wartime. Labs and Research Groups: He directs the 'Professori in Guerra' Digital Library, an archive of autobiographies and militant texts by scholars. He co-directs the 'Divinatoria' book series with Classiques Garnier and has organized international workshops on divination. He is a founding member and treasurer of the International Society for the Critical Study of Divination and serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Divination and Prognostication .

Victor GhicaView profile

Professor

• Archaeology
• Egyptology
• Early Christianity
• +6 more

Victor Ghica is a Professor of Antiquity and Early Christian Studies at MF University College (2015–present), following a tenure as Associate Professor at Macquarie University (Sydney) and roles at the Institut français d'archéologie orientale (Cairo) and Université Laval (Québec). His work bridges archaeology, linguistics, and religious studies, focusing on Late Antiquity and Early Christianity in Egypt and Dalmatia. Ph.D. in Theology (Université Laval, 2006) Doctorate in Religious Sciences (EPHE, Paris, 2006) Licentiate in Ancient Near Eastern Studies (Pontificium Institutum Biblicum, Rome, 2002) B.A. in Arabic and Islamic Studies (Rome, 1999) B.A.Hons. (Universitatea Bucuresti, 1996) Ghica’s research spans archaeological fieldwork (Egyptian oases, Croatia), textual analysis of Coptic and Syriac manuscripts, and the material culture of Early Christian communities. He directs the ERC-funded DEChriM project, which reinterprets fourth-century Egyptian Christianity through archaeological evidence. His recent publications focus on excavations at Dayr Muṣṭafā Kāšif, Šams al-Dīn, and Dush in Egypt’s Kharga Oasis, alongside Croatian fieldwork in Bribir. These works emphasize the interplay between ritual practices, desert settlements, and cross-cultural exchanges in Late Antiquity. As a field director and project coordinator, Ghica leads international teams in Egyptian oases and Croatia. He co-edits the Texts and Studies in Eastern Christianity series (Brill) and contributes to understanding Early Christian material culture through archaeobotany, epigraphy, and architectural remains.

Véronique PleschView profile

Professor

• History of European art and culture (1300-1800)
• Christian iconography
• Medieval French literature
• +1 more

Véronique Plesch is the James M. Gillespie Professor of Art at Colby College, specializing in European art and culture from 1300-1800, Christian iconography, and interdisciplinary word-image studies. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Princeton University and dual Licence ès Lettres degrees from Université de Genève in Medieval French Literature and Art History. Ph.D., Princeton University M.A., Princeton University Licence ès Lettres, Université de Genève (Medieval French Literature & Art History) Her research explores intersections between visual and textual cultures, focusing on graffiti as historical evidence, medieval drama's visual manifestations, and intermedial relationships. She examines devotional practices, regional artistic identities, and the semiotics of sacred spaces. Key publication trends include analyses of Mediterranean intermediality, Alpine art exchanges, and graffiti's role in memory preservation. Her work spans from 1985 studies on Grisons art to recent explorations of 20th-century illustrated books. Professional leadership includes: President, International Association of Word and Image Studies (2008-17) Editorial Board, Early Drama, Art and Music series (2005-18) President, New England Medieval Conference (2011-12) Advisory Editor, Interfaces (2002-) She teaches courses like 'Graffiti, Past and Present' and 'Vienna 1900', integrating her expertise in medieval/modern art transitions and visual rhetoric.

• Archaeology
• Digital Humanities
• Celtic Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Megan Kasten serves as a Research Affiliate in the Department of Archaeology and holds an affiliate position in Celtic & Gaelic at the University of Glasgow. Her institutional affiliation is evidenced through her university email address and ORCID profile linked to glasgow.ac.uk. Her research focuses on the intersection of digital methodologies and early medieval archaeology, particularly specializing in Ogham inscriptions, Scottish carved stones, and digital imaging techniques. Key areas include 3D modeling, Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), and the application of computational methods to archaeological documentation. She investigates how digital media represents archaeological subjects, notably through analyses of Ogham in video games and tabletop RPGs. Dr. Kasten's publication trends reveal a strong emphasis on methodological innovation in archaeology, with recurring themes in Scottish early medieval heritage, Celtic studies, and pandemic-era adaptations of spatial archaeometry. Her work bridges technical digital humanities approaches with traditional archaeological interpretation of Pictish and early medieval material culture. She has contributed to collaborative research through the CAST and SPARC programs, as documented in her 2021 co-authored work on spatial archaeometry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her editorial work on student symposium proceedings demonstrates active engagement with emerging scholars in early medieval archaeology, though no formal advisees are listed in available records. Dr. Kasten maintains research datasets through collaborations like the York Archaeological Trust project (2020), focusing on 3D use-wear analysis of artifacts. Her professional activities center on digital archaeological methods, Celtic epigraphy, and the preservation of Scotland's medieval heritage through technological innovation.

• Art history of Naples and Southern Italy
• Memorial culture
• Episteme of visual media (especially cartography)
• +3 more

Prof. Dr. Tanja Michalsky is the Managing Director of the City and Space in Pre-Modernity department at the Bibliotheca Hertziana - Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome. She previously held a professorship at the Berlin University of the Arts (2007-2015) and led the DFG Research Training Group 'Knowledge in the Arts' (2012-2014). Her work focuses on historical spaces, media theory, and the interplay between visual culture and spatial representation. Education : PhD in Art History from Ludwig Maximilian University Munich (1995), Habilitation at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (2004). Research Interests center on media-critical analysis of historical spaces in Southern Italy (especially Naples), cartographic epistemes, and cinematic spatiality. She explores how texts, images, and maps produce space through epistemological frameworks, with a particular interest in transmedia approaches to spatial historiography. Scientific Awards include the Lise Meitner Fellowship (2001-2004). Students : Andrea Gelardi, Malvina Giordana, Kris Racaniello, Mariano Saggiomo, Elisabetta Scirocco. Email : michalsky@biblhertz.it

Roman KrivkoView profile

Associate Professor

• Old Church Slavonic
• Byzantine Hymnography
• Slavic Epigraphy
• +3 more

Roman Krivko is an Associate Professor at the Department of Slavonic Studies , University of Vienna. His research focuses on Old Church Slavonic , Byzantine hymnography , and historical linguistics of Slavic languages. Specializes in medieval Slavic epigraphy and liturgical text analysis Key contributor to studies on Christian traditions in Slavic contexts Active editor and researcher in international Slavic studies Research Themes include: Quantitative analysis of loanwords in Slavic Gospels Textological studies of service menaia and kontakia Historical development of Old Bulgarian language Linguistic networks in Central/Eastern Europe Scientific Contributions span Editorial work on Slověne journal Notable publications on the Temnić inscription and Samuil's epigraph Collaborations with institutions like Vinogradov Russian Language Institute

Marcus MilwrightView profile

Professor

• Islamic Art and Archaeology
• Art and Archaeology of the Islamic Middle East
• Craft Practices in Urban Environments
• +5 more

Professor Marcus Milwright holds the British Academy Global Professorship in History of Art and is a Professor of Islamic Art and Archaeology at the University of Victoria, Canada. He specializes in the art, archaeology, and craft practices of the Islamic Middle East, Ottoman architecture, and cross-cultural exchanges in the Mediterranean. His research integrates written sources, archaeological data, and material culture to explore technological and aesthetic changes in Islamic art. He leads projects in Jordan, Syria, and Greece, and maintains websites documenting traditional crafts like Crafts of Syria . Education: MA (Edinburgh), DPhil (Oxford). Key awards include the Craigdarroch Silver Medal (2013) and Aga Khan Fellowships (2006). He has supervised over 20 PhD and MA students, focusing on topics like Quranic calligraphy, Mamluk metalwork, and Ottoman urbanism. His publications include The Queen of Sheba’s Gift (2021) and Islamic Arts and Crafts (2017). Teaching expertise spans Islamic art history, material culture, and the destruction of art.

Georgios PallisView profile

Associate Professor

• Byzantine Archaeology
• Post-Byzantine Art
• Byzantine Epigraphy
• +2 more

Georgios Pallis is an Associate Professor at the Department of History and Archaeology , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , specializing in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Archaeology and Art . He earned his doctorate from the same institution and previously served in the Greek Archaeological Service. His research focuses on marble sculpture , epigraphy , and monumental topography of the Byzantine and Ottoman periods in Greece. Active in excavations at Andros (2004–2012) and Palaeopolis (since 2015) Key publications: From Lamia to Zitouni (2020), co-edited Ottoman Monuments in Greece (2023) Current research: Byzantine altars, templon screens, and Ottoman architectural legacies

Timothy GreenwoodView profile

Professor

• Medieval Armenian History
• Armenian Culture
• Byzantine History
• +5 more

Timothy Greenwood is a Professor in the School of History at the University of St Andrews, UK, based in the Arts Building on The Scores. He actively supervises postgraduate research students and contributes to the Centre for Anatolian and East Mediterranean Studies, Centre for Late Antique Studies, Institute of Legal and Constitutional Research, and Institute of Medieval Studies. His research specializes in medieval Armenian history (400-1100 CE), utilizing literary, epigraphic, and architectural sources to analyze Armenian interactions with Byzantine, Persian, and Islamic empires. He also investigates 16th-17th century Armenian manuscript illumination, with his work establishing a unique fingerprint in Armenian SSR studies, 10th century history, and historic contexts. Greenwood's recent publications (2019-2025) consistently explore Armenian historical identity at imperial crossroads, emphasizing cultural negotiation, primary source analysis, and comparative frameworks across Byzantine, Islamic, and Persian spheres. His scientific recognition includes: Correspondant étranger of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres (France, 2022) Distinguished Visiting Scholar award (2017) Election as Fellow of the British Academy (2024) Greenwood has supervised four postgraduate students and maintains extensive academic service through 41 manuscript peer reviews, 18 conference participations, and 8 consultancy engagements for major funding bodies including the European Research Council (ERC), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). He serves on the editorial board of Harrassowitz Verlag and participates in external examinations.

Kevin van BladelView profile

Professor

• Near Eastern Philology
• Late Antiquity
• Classical Near East
• +17 more

Kevin van Bladel is Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University, where he teaches in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He has previously held faculty positions at The Ohio State University and the University of Southern California, where he co-founded the Middle East Studies Program. He earned his PhD and MPhil from Yale University and holds a BA and MA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research centers on the philology and history of the Near East between 200 and 1200 CE, with a focus on the sociolinguistic and cultural transitions during the Arab conquests, the transmission of scholarly traditions across languages (especially Arabic, Persian, Syriac, Greek, and Sanskrit), and the intellectual history of late antiquity. He is particularly known for his work on the Arabic reception of Hermes Trismegistus and the origins of Mandaeism. His recent publications reflect a broad engagement with the classical traditions of the Near East, including studies on Middle Persian literature, the translation movement in Baghdad, Arabicization and Islamization, and the institutional history of Islamic studies. His work often bridges philology, history, and religious studies, advocating for an integrated 'Classical Near East' framework. His scholarly contributions include influential monographs such as The Arabic Hermes and From Sasanian Mandaeans to Ṣābians of the Marshes , and numerous articles in top journals and edited volumes. He has also contributed reference entries to the Encyclopaedia of Islam . Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Yale University (2017–present) Associate Professor and Chair, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, The Ohio State University (2013–2017) Assistant/Associate Professor of Classics, University of Southern California PhD, Yale University (2004) He has taught a wide range of ancient languages and courses on the empires of ancient Iran, the history of the Near East, and the cultures of late antiquity. His academic service includes participation in major research initiatives and scholarly networks, and he maintains an active presence through publications and digital scholarship.

• New Testament Textual Criticism and Biblical Manuscripts
• Ancient everyday life and documentary papyri
• Greco-Roman World and its influence on New Testament writings
• +1 more

Christina Maria Kreinecker is a Professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, KU Leuven, where she heads the Research Centre for Multilingual Manuscripts (LEMMA) and serves on the Faculty Council. She is an active member of LECTIO – KU Leuven Institute for the Study of Text Transmission and LILI – KU Leuven Interdisciplinary Language Institute. Her research integrates New Testament Textual Criticism with papyrological analysis of documentary evidence to reconstruct ancient everyday life and Greco-Roman cultural contexts. She specializes in multilingual manuscript traditions, examining how linguistic diversity shaped biblical transmission across antiquity. Her methodology bridges textual scholarship with socio-historical analysis of early Christian communities. Recent publications reveal consistent focus on 1 Corinthians' textual history across multilingual contexts, particularly in patristic writings. Her work demonstrates how Vulgate, Coptic, and Old Latin witnesses preserve evidence of interlingual interactions, with significant contributions to understanding language contact in early Christian textual practices. Kreinecker leads eight major research projects including the 1Cor-Tekst initiative (2022-2027) tracing 1 Corinthians' transmission across the first millennium and the NTTMMC center (2019-2029) dedicated to multilingual New Testament contexts. Her grants examine textual phenomena in Origen, Cappadocian Fathers, and Augustine while exploring papyrological metaphors in Romans 6-8. As director of LEMMA, she coordinates investigations into bilingual manuscripts to detect interlingual interactions within New Testament traditions. Her leadership in LECTIO and LILI fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between textual scholars, linguists, and papyrologists studying transmission mechanisms across historical periods.

Rafael Gonzalez FernandezView profile

Professor

• Ancient History
• Latin Epigraphy
• Roman Archaeology
• +4 more

Rafael González Fernández is a Professor at the University of Murcia, affiliated with the Department of Prehistory, Archaeology, Ancient History, Medieval History, and Historiographic Sciences and Techniques within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. His primary research focuses on Roman history, epigraphy, and archaeology, with a particular emphasis on Latin inscriptions, Roman villas, and ancient Mediterranean cultures. He holds a Doctorate from the University of Murcia, awarded in 1991 for his thesis on Justinian's ideological structures in the Codex Justinianus. Key research interests include the study of Roman material culture, funerary archaeology, and the socio-political dynamics of the late Roman Empire. He has conducted extensive fieldwork at sites like the Roman villa of Los Villaricos, where he explored olive oil production facilities and their role in Hispania Tarraconensis. His work often bridges classical antiquity with early medieval history, examining topics such as Herodotean influences in medieval chronicles and the persistence of pagan practices under Christian dominance. His publications span over three decades, covering topics from Republican-era votive inscriptions to the analysis of Severan dynasty political strategies. Collaborations with institutions like the Spanish Archaeological Archive and international scholars highlight his global academic engagement. Though no awards are explicitly mentioned, his contributions to Roman epigraphy and archaeology are widely recognized in academic circles. His research also extends to interdisciplinary projects, such as the analysis of heraldic repertoires and the application of digital methods in archaeological documentation. The article ECHOES OF HERODOTUS IN THE CAPTURE OF MULA exemplifies his interdisciplinary approach, linking classical historiography to early modern Spanish literary traditions.

• Late Antique History
• Early Islamic History
• Pre-Islamic Arabia
• +6 more

Robert G. Hoyland is a Professor of Late Antique and Early Islamic Middle Eastern History at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW). He is also a member of the Visiting Scholar Search Committee for Academic Year 2025-26. Hoyland holds a doctoral degree from Oxford University, where he focused on non-Muslim accounts of the rise of Islam, culminating in his seminal work Seeing Islam as Others saw it (1997) . His research explores the emergence of Islamic civilization, pre-Islamic Arabian societies, epigraphy, papyrology, and the transmission of Greco-Syriac knowledge. His academic contributions include pivotal studies such as In God’s Path (2014) , examining the Arab conquests, and Arabia and the Arabs (2001) , which redefined understandings of pre-Islamic Arabia. He has also collaborated on texts like Polemon’s Physiognomy (2007) and published editions of seventh-century Arabic papyri from Nessana. Hoyland’s archaeological work includes excavations in Syria, Yemen, Israel/Palestine, and Azerbaijan. Recently, he has shifted focus to social history, studying the socio-economic plight of the unfree in early Islamic societies. Though no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, his scholarship is widely recognized in his field. His advising and grant activities are not detailed in available texts, but his archaeological collaborations and academic publications reflect extensive scholarly engagement. Hoyland’s work is anchored at ISAW, where he contributes to interdisciplinary research bridging archaeology, history, and textual analysis.