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Dr. Saskia Peels-Matthey is a Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts, specializing in Ancient Greek religion, literature, and epigraphy. She holds MA degrees in English, Classics, and Linguistics from Leiden and Utrecht Universities, and a PhD in Classics from Utrecht University (2014). Her research integrates cognitive linguistics, digital humanities, and classical studies, notably through her NWO Veni project 'Polytheism as Language' exploring Greek divine semantics. She co-leads the open-access Collection of Greek Ritual Norms (CGRN) database and develops computational tools like AGILe lemmatizer. A board member of the Anchoring Innovation program, she also supervises interdisciplinary PhD projects blending classics with computational methods and climate communication. Her work spans semantic analysis of religious terms (e.g., hosios, hagnos), ritual innovations in inscriptions, and computational modeling of ancient Greek language evolution. Notable collaborations include organizing conferences on Artemis mythology and interdisciplinary workshops on ancient poetry's cognitive impact. She actively engages in public outreach through media appearances explaining classical studies' modern relevance.

• Ancient Greek religion
• Ancient Greek literature
• Greek epigraphy
• +4 more

Prof. Dr. Onno van Nijf is a Professor of Ancient History at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts, leading the Ancient History department. His research focuses on the political, cultural, and social history of Greek cities under Hellenistic and Roman rule, with particular expertise in sport history, Greek festivals, epigraphy, citizenship, and funerary culture. He has held significant roles, including Head of the Classics Department (2016-2017) and Head of the History Department (2007-2011). Van Nijf earned his MA (1988) and PhD (1996) from Leiden and Amsterdam Universities. He has been a visiting professor at institutions like the University of Paris and the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris. His international research includes directing projects on civic honours and Greek cities post-Classical Age. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, blending archaeology, religion, and politics. Notable projects include the 'Ancient History Profile' on political culture and the 'Anchoring Innovation' initiative. He co-founded CRASIS, an interdisciplinary research group at Groningen. Van Nijf has supervised numerous PhD students and organized conferences on topics like civic identity and ancient festivals. His awards include NWO and Leverhulme grants. He teaches courses on Greek athletics, Roman religion, and the cultural history of death, and maintains the Saxa Loquuntur epigraphy database.

• Ancient History
• Political History
• Cultural History
• +6 more

Konstantin Klein is a Visiting Professor at the University of Amsterdam 's Faculty of Humanities, specializing in History, European Studies, and Religious Studies. His research focuses on Late Antiquity, particularly the intersection of epigraphy, religious history, and urban development in Constantinople and Jerusalem. Research interests include: Epigraphic analysis of ancient Semitic inscriptions Digital humanities applications in text restoration Urban spatial organization in religious contexts Material culture of Late Antique cities Gender roles in epigraphic patronage Recent publications demonstrate expertise in: Machine learning for damaged inscription recovery Comparative urbanism of Byzantine capitals Analysis of Palmyrene funerary art Epigraphic patterns in Christian holy sites Interpretation of Late Antique decay processes Gender-regulated epigraphic expressions

• Late Antiquity
• Epigraphy
• Religious History
• +3 more

Dr. Arjan Nijk is a Postdoc Researcher in the Department of Greek and Latin Languages and Cultures at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Humanities. His work focuses on classical philology and epigraphic practices in antiquity. Research Interests: Greek and Latin textual analysis Hellenistic epigraphy Late Roman poetry Language-culture interrelations Recent Publications: Demonstrated engagement with topics like Claudian's Exambela structure and Hellenistic Greek inscriptions.

• Classics
• Ancient Languages
• Philology
• +3 more

Prof. Leonard Rutgers is a Professor of Ancient History and Classical Civilisation at Utrecht University's Faculty of Humanities. He holds the Chair in Late Antiquity and leads the Genetic Legacies Project, an interdisciplinary initiative analyzing Jewish migration to Europe through genetic data. His research spans archaeology, religious studies, and digital humanities, with a focus on migration history, diaspora communities, and population dynamics. His expertise includes epigraphy, heritage studies, and public engagement, evident in his award-winning books like De klassieke wereld in 52 ontdekkingen (2018) and Israel aan de Tiber (2022). He collaborates globally on projects such as the Villa Torlonia Jewish Catacombs and 3D imaging initiatives. Rutgers also advises the Pontificia Academia Romana di Archeologia and NIAS-Lorentz, promoting interdisciplinary education and research. Key contributions include groundbreaking work on Jewish-Christian interactions in Late Antiquity, published in Nature and Journal of Archaeological Science . His current projects explore population genetics and digital platforms for historical migration modeling. Awards include the Homerus Prize (2019) and the Dutch Association of Italian Studies Research Prize (2023).

• Archaeology
• Ancient History
• Religious Studies
• +10 more

Dr. Ortal-Paz Saar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Art History at Utrecht University, specializing in Ancient History and Classical Civilisation. Her research focuses on Jewish cultural history, religious rituals, and digital humanities methodologies. She is affiliated with the Humanities Research Institute for History and Art History and actively collaborates with international institutions. Cultural History Rituals Paleography Digital Humanities Her recent publications explore Jewish magic, funerary inscriptions, and interdisciplinary epigraphy. Awards include grants from the Rothschild Foundation, European Association of Jewish Studies, and the Lorentz Center. She co-develops digital projects like PEACE and Structuring Magic with global institutions. Lorentz Center workshop grant (2022) Research IT Innovation Fund (2018) Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe (2017) EAJS grants (2017, 2016)

• Digital Humanities
• Rituals
• Funerary Culture
• +7 more

Prof. Jan Paul Crielaard is Full Professor of Mediterranean Pre- and Protohistorical Archaeology at the Faculty of Humanities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His research focuses on the Greek world during the Bronze Age/Iron Age transition, Mediterranean interconnectivity, and identity formation in the Archaic period. He holds editorial roles at Brill’s History and Archaeology of Classical Antiquity series, advises the ARCHON research school and NWO’s Social Sciences and Humanities domain, and organizes academic workshops like 'How to Become a PhD'. Teaching specialties include Aegean archaeology (3000–300 BC), Mediterranean prehistory, and methodologies of archaeological fieldwork. Research interests bridge archaeology with literary evidence, early Greek cult practices, and Homeric archaeology. Recent work explores Greek colonization in Italy, cultural hybridity, and inscription-based religious landscape studies. Publications (48 total) address topics like Bronze Age social networks, Euboian sanctuaries, and material culture indicators of migration. Editorial activities include peer review for Brill and conference organization. Supervised 6 PhD students, focusing on Mediterranean connectivity and protohistoric archaeology. Labs/teams include collaborations within the ARCHON research network and international field projects examining Mediterranean cultural interactions. Current interests emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to ancient identity formation and Bronze Age-Iron Age socio-political transitions.

• Mediterranean Archaeology
• Classical Archaeology
• Prehistoric & Protohistoric Studies
• +6 more

Dr. Marek Jancovic is an Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and coordinator of the MA program Arts & Culture: Comparative Arts and Media Studies. His research focuses on media materiality, film preservation, environmental impacts of media, and format studies. He leads the CINEAGRI project, funded by NWO Veni, exploring agricultural materials in early celluloid film production. Notable publications include A Media Epigraphy of Video Compression (2023) and The Future of Memory (2025). He holds a PhD from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (2020) and an MSc from the University of Amsterdam (2015). Research interests span media archaeology, animal-media interactions, queer/disability studies, and infrastructure politics. Awards include the 2023 NWO Veni Grant and a best dissertation award (2021). He teaches courses on media materialities, transmedia storytelling, and film preservation. Current PhD supervision includes Linxi Zhang’s project on Chinese cyber-nationalism. Award-winning documentary producer, board member of the Environmental Humanities Center Amsterdam, and active in global academic networks (necs, SCMS). Recent activities include lectures on celluloid supply chains and a visiting fellowship at Meiji Gakuin University (2025).

• Media Studies
• Film Preservation
• Media and Environment
• +7 more

Dr. Ton Derks is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specializing in Roman archaeology and history. His research focuses on the northwestern Roman provinces, integrating archaeological, historical, and epigraphic evidence. Key interests include Roman military identity, Latin epigraphy, and the material dimensions of rituals in Roman Gaul and Germania. He co-directed two major NWO-funded projects: *Roman villa landscapes in the North* (2006–2010) and *The villa of Hoogeloon* (2010–2014). His teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses in archaeology, including *Latin Epigraphy in Rome* and *The Roman World beyond Rome*. Derks serves on the International Committee of Gallia (2012–2019) and the Advisory Board of Archaeological Dialogues (2015–present). He also acts as Commissaris at VUhbs B.V. in Amsterdam.

• Roman Archaeology
• Ancient History
• Epigraphy
• +3 more

Dr. Marlena Whiting is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen, specializing in Ancient History with a focus on Late Antiquity. She holds a PhD in History from the University of Groningen and previously studied at Wellesley College. Her research centers on pilgrimage practices, gender dynamics, and urban religious landscapes in the Mediterranean world. She concurrently serves as a Research Associate at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Classics and an Expert Lecturer at Martin Randall Travel. Education: PhD in History (University of Groningen), MA/BA in History and Medieval/Renaissance Studies (Wellesley College). Research Interests: Late Antique pilgrimage networks, gendered religious practices, monastic hospitality, urbanism, and the intersection of archaeology with textual sources. She has pioneered studies on women's agency in early Christian pilgrimage and the material culture of travel infrastructure. Key Projects: Organized the 2018 'Women and Pilgrimage' interdisciplinary conference (funded by NWO Veni), authored a doctoral thesis on Levantine travel infrastructure (4th–7th centuries), and contributed to excavations at Petra through the Finnish Jabal Harun Project. Awards: NWO Veni Fellowship (2016–2019) for her project 'Gendering Sacred Space: Female Networks, Patronage, and Ritual Experience in Early Christian Pilgrimage.' Grants & Funding: Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) support for her Veni project, contributing to collaborative archaeological initiatives and conference organization. Labs/Teams: Finnish Jabal Harun Project (multidisciplinary archaeology), part of the University of Groningen's Ancient History research group.

• Late Antiquity
• Pilgrimage Studies
• Urbanism
• +6 more

Elena Mucciarelli is an Assistant Professor for Hinduism in the Sanskrit Tradition and Gonda Lecturer at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society. Her research focuses on Vedic rituals, South Asian performance traditions, and medieval religious texts. She holds a Ph.D. from the Universities of Turin-Milan and Tübingen, with a dissertation on semantic shifts in Vedic rituals. Mucciarelli has held fellowships at institutions like the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and directed the Institute of Indian Studies. Her work bridges textual analysis, performance studies, and epigraphy, with notable projects including the Epigraphia Carnatica digitization and studies on Kūṭiyāṭṭam theater. Her research interests include ritual language evolution, Sanskrit theater (e.g., Kūṭiyāṭṭam), Malayalam literature, and inscriptions as historical sources. Awards include the Martin Buber Society Fellowship and ERC-funded projects. She teaches courses on religious concepts, media, and heritage studies, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches.

• Indian Studies
• Textual Studies
• Performance and Ritual in South Asia
• +5 more

Bettina Reitz-Joosse is Assistant Professor of Latin Language and Literature at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts, Department of Classics. A dedicated classicist, she researches the relationship between literature and material culture in Roman Antiquity, with particular expertise in Latin literature of Italian Fascism and war landscapes in ancient texts. Her groundbreaking work on the Codex Fori Mussolini brought international attention to how classical traditions were appropriated by 20th century political movements. Her educational background includes: Classics at Corpus Christi College Oxford PhD from Leiden University (2013) Reitz-Joosse's research spans multiple interconnected domains: the representation of war landscapes in Roman literature, the relationship between material culture and literary production, and the reception of classical texts in modern political contexts. Her work on Fascist Latin texts represents a significant contribution to understanding how ancient languages and forms were deployed for ideological purposes in the 20th century. She approaches classical studies with a conviction that Antiquity plays a meaningful role in contemporary society, bridging historical scholarship with modern relevance. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on spatial and material dimensions of Roman literature, with increasing attention to how ancient texts represent constructed environments, battlefields, and monuments. Her scholarly output demonstrates interdisciplinary reach, connecting literary studies with archaeology, architectural history, and memory studies. The 2022 ERC Starting Grant for her FACERE project signals recognition of her innovative research trajectory. Her notable achievements include: VENI grant by NWO (2015) for research on 'war landscapes' in Roman literature Science Communication Award from the Royal Flemish Academy (2017) for the Codex Fori Mussolini project Appointment to The Young Academy of KNAW (2017) UG Lecturer of the Year 2017 (awarded 2018) ERC Starting Grant for FACERE project (2022) As an educator, Reitz-Joosse has received significant recognition, including being named UG Lecturer of the Year 2017. Her VENI grant and subsequent ERC Starting Grant demonstrate sustained research excellence and the significance of her work on Roman literature and material culture. She has been actively involved with The Young Academy, serving on the University of Groningen board, contributing to academic policy discussions. While specific grant amounts aren't detailed in the source material, her NWO VENI and ERC Starting Grants represent substantial research funding in the European academic context. Her collaborative work with Han Lamers on Fascist Latin texts has established an important research stream examining how classical traditions were mobilized for political purposes in 20th century Italy. This work has created new scholarly pathways for understanding the complex relationship between ancient cultural forms and modern political movements.

• Roman Literature
• Latin Language
• Material Culture in Antiquity
• +5 more

ML Folmer is an Associate Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, specializing in Religious Sources. They concurrently serve as Universitair Docent (University Lecturer) in Aramaic at Leiden University since 1998. Their research focuses on ancient languages and religious practices, particularly Aramaic dialects, Jewish communities in the Achaemenid Empire, and linguistic interactions in antiquity. Research interests include code-switching in Elephantine Aramaic, administrative language evolution, and material culture analysis of ancient Jewish diasporas. Folmer has published extensively on topics such as Persian loanwords in Aramaic texts and the sociolinguistic context of ancient curse tablets. They have organized academic events like the IOTS 10th International Meeting (2022) and delivered key lectures on topics ranging from Hebrew-Aramaic linguistic connections to official Aramaic's historical development. Notable recognition includes the 1996 Bulthuis van Oosternieland Prize for scholarly contributions. Teaching responsibilities include leading courses on Aramaic and Biblical Hebrew at VU, covering introductory to advanced levels. Their work bridges textual analysis with archaeological evidence, offering interdisciplinary insights into ancient Near Eastern societies.

• Aramaic Studies
• Ancient Judaism
• Historical Linguistics
• +4 more

Dr. Floris van den Eijnde is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University's Department of History and Art History, specializing in Ancient History and Greek Archaeology. He leads research groups like Sacrality and the Greek Polis and directs the Thorikos Fieldwork Project in Greece. His work focuses on state formation, cultural interaction, and the role of sanctuaries in premodern Mediterranean societies. Key roles include directing the Research Master in Ancient Medieval and Renaissance Studies and co-editing the Cultural Interactions in the Mediterranean series. Education: MA degrees in Mediterranean Archaeology (UvA, 2000), Classics (UvA, 2001), and Education (VU Amsterdam, 2004). PhD from Utrecht University (2010) on Cult and Society in Early Athens . Research Interests: Athenian polis development, Greek sanctuaries, feasting theory, and Mediterranean integration processes. Projects include excavations at Thorikos and the Athenian Agora, alongside international collaborations like the HIERON Network. Awards: Marie Curie Fellowship (2012-2013), ASCSA Fellowship (2000-2001), and Paul V. Bacon Prize (1994). Active in academic leadership roles, including editorships and advisory boards. Teaching: Courses on ancient history, archaeology, and material culture integration. Co-created BA programs like Foundations of Europe and Archaeology Minor. Fieldwork: Thorikos (since 2011), Athenian Agora (1998-2002), and Ancient Corinth (2001). Key findings include insights into silver mining's role in Athenian polis formation and the spatial dynamics of early Greek cult practices.

• Greek Archaeology
• Ancient History
• Cultural Heritage
• +9 more

Dr. Tamara Dijkstra is a Researcher in the Department of Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Groningen, Faculty of Arts. Her work focuses on Greco-Roman mortuary practices, identity representation, and social transformation in antiquity. She contributes to projects like MARE and Halos Archaeological Project, examining burial rituals and cultural dynamics in the Roman East and Hellenistic Greece. Research interests include funerary archaeology, epigraphy, and urban spaces in antiquity. Recent publications analyze Roman burial practices in Knossos, Patras, and Seleukeia Sidera. Active in fieldwork and editorial roles, including the Journal of Greek Archaeology. Her research bridges archaeology and history, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding death and identity in classical antiquity.

• Death, Burial, and Commemoration in the Greco-Roman World
• Self-Representation and Identity in Text and Image
• Social and Cultural Transformation in Classical Antiquity
• +3 more