Find Academic Supervisors

• Central Asian Archaeology
• Hellenistic Archaeology
• Ancient History
• +3 more

Sören Stark is a Professor of Central Asian Archaeology at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW). He holds roles as Vice Director (Spring/Summer 2025 & AY2025-26) and Chair of the Visiting Scholar Search Committee (AY2025-26). His expertise focuses on the archaeology of Central Asia, particularly Hellenistic and Late Antique Sogdiana, and the dynamics between agrarian societies and nomadic groups. Stark received his PhD in 2005 from Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg and has conducted extensive fieldwork in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the Bukhara oasis. Key projects include directing excavations at Bashtepa (since 2015), investigating agro-pastoral communities in Western Sogdiana, and analyzing Bronze/Iron Age petroglyphs and Iron Age kurgans. His research integrates archaeological data with historical sources, emphasizing regional connectivity and cultural interactions during the Hellenistic and post-Hellenistic periods. Stark co-edits Brill's Handbook of Oriental Studies and has published widely on topics such as Türk archaeology, Sogdian material culture, and Greco-Bactrian coinage. Recent work highlights include the 2019 publication on Bashtepa's fortifications and terracotta figurines, alongside studies on urbanization patterns in Bukharan Sogdiana. His field methodologies combine stratigraphic excavation, ceramic analysis, and radiocarbon dating to reconstruct socio-environmental histories. Laboratory and team collaborations involve the Uzbek-American Expedition in Bukhara (UzAmEB) and the NYU Abu Dhabi archaeological initiative. Stark's research bridges ancient history and archaeology, addressing questions of cultural identity, political frontiers, and subsistence strategies in Central Asia's crossroads.

Manolis ManoledakisView profile

Professor

• Classical Archaeology
• Historical Geography
• Ancient History of the Black Sea Region
• +5 more

Manolis Manoledakis is Professor of Classical Archaeology at the International Hellenic University (IHU) and Dean of the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Economics since 2020. He directs IHU’s archaeological excavation at Neo Rysio and co-edits the journal Ancient West and East . His academic career spans multiple institutions including Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Ioannina, and Democritus University of Thrace. Education: Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2003) Master of Arts in Classical Archaeology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1999) Bachelor’s degree in History and Archaeology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1997) His research focuses on the archaeology, historical geography, and ancient history of the Black Sea region and Macedonia, with specialization in ancient topography, cults, mythology, and Greek vase painting. He has developed unique interdisciplinary methodologies combining cartographic analysis with archaeological fieldwork. The 15 most recent publications reveal trends in Pontic studies, Greek colonialism, Roman hydraulic engineering, and ethnographic analysis of indigenous communities. His work bridges textual analysis with material evidence, particularly through GIS applications and remote sensing technologies. Scientific Awards: Scholarship of excellence (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2001) State Scholarships Foundation fellowship (2006-2007) Manoledakis has directed the MA in Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Studies and MA in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History of Macedonia. He organized international workshops and summer schools, and led excavation teams at Neo Rysio and Vergina, while contributing to environmental history projects like Mines, Olives and Monasteries . His editorial work includes proceedings of Black Sea Antiquities workshops and co-edited volumes in the Colloquia Antiqua supplement series. He has applied digital methods to Ptolemy’s Geographia and WW2 aerial photography for ancient landscape reconstruction.

Thomas F. StrasserView profile

Professor

• Aegean Bronze Age
• Greek Archaeology
• Mediterranean Prehistory
• +3 more

Thomas F. Strasser is Professor of Art History at Providence College, specializing in Greek archaeology with expertise in Minoan Crete. He earned his PhD in Classical Archaeology from Indiana University and has conducted fieldwork in Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey for over two decades. Strasser's research reinterprets Bronze Age frescoes and investigates early Mediterranean seafaring through his Plakias Stone Age Project. His courses explore the art and archaeology of ancient Iraq, Egypt, and classical civilizations. Strasser received the 2021 Outstanding Faculty Scholar Award and leads student excavations on Crete. Recent publications examine Paleolithic tool assemblages challenging conventional timelines of Mediterranean colonization and geological elements in Theran wall paintings. His fieldwork continues to uncover evidence of Mesolithic habitation in southern Crete.

Christopher RattéView profile

Professor

• Classical Archaeology
• Greek and Roman Art
• Archaeology of Asia Minor
• +3 more

Christopher Ratté is a Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Art and Archaeology at the University of Michigan, holding joint appointments in the Departments of Classical Studies and History of Art. He serves as Director of the Interdepartmental Program in Ancient Mediterranean Art and Archaeology and previously directed the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology (2013–2017). He earned his PhD in Classical Archaeology from the University of California, Berkeley (1989), following MA (1984) and BA (1981) degrees from Harvard College. Education: PhD Classical Archaeology, UC Berkeley (1989); MA, UC Berkeley (1984); BA, Harvard (1981) Roles: Director of Kelsey Museum (2013–2017), Director of IPAMAA (2009–2013, 2020–2024) Exhibitions: Curated 'Rock, Paper Memory' (2015) and 'Urban Biographies' (2018) at the Kelsey Museum Ratté’s research focuses on the archaeology of western Turkey and the Black Sea region, emphasizing how built environments—monuments, settlements, and landscapes—reflect social and cultural identity. Major projects include the Aphrodisias Regional Survey (2005–2009), Vani Regional Survey (Georgia, 2009–2012), and ongoing excavations at Notion (Turkey, since 2022 with NEH funding). His publications explore architectural traditions, urban development, and cross-cultural interactions in antiquity. Recent works include co-editing Aphrodisias V (2012) and co-authoring Archaeology and the Cities of Asia Minor in Late Antiquity (2011). Current fieldwork at Notion investigates ancient urbanism through a collaboration with international teams. Grants: NEH Collaborative Research Grant (2022) Advising: Supervised over 50 articles and excavation reports on Asia Minor Ratté’s lab/team collaborations include projects at Notion, Vani, and Aphrodisias, integrating interdisciplinary methods like remote sensing and geological analysis to study human-environment interactions.

• Early Modern History
• Colonial History
• Ibero-American Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Peter Mainka is a part-time lecturer at the Chair of Modern History at the University of Würzburg, with a focus on Early Modern European history and colonial contexts. He holds a PhD in Modern and Contemporary History from Würzburg and has extensive experience in German-Brazilian academic collaborations. Education : History, German Studies, and Ancient Greek at the University of Würzburg and Vienna. Research Interests span colonial history, Ibero-American studies, enlightened absolutism, and the role of religious orders in colonial contexts. His work often intersects with educational history and cultural exchange. His recent publications emphasize the Portuguese Empire, Jesuit missions in Brazil, and Early Modern political philosophy. Notable awards include the Wissenschaftspreis der Stiftung Ostdeutscher Kulturrat (2nd Place, 1995). He has led student excursions to Brazil and the Netherlands, fostering cross-cultural academic engagement. Teaching activities at Würzburg include seminars on the Portuguese seaborne empire, Ibero-American colonialism, and the Thirty Years' War. Since 2014, he has been a pedagogical staff member at the Würzburg Adult Education Center (vhs).

Stefanos GimatzidisView profile

Lecturer

• Colonization and colonialism
• Mediterranean archaeology
• Early Iron Age
• +3 more

Stefanos Gimatzidis is a Lecturer at the Institute for Classical Archaeology, University of Vienna (since 2015), and a Senior Researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAI) since 2017. He holds a Magister Artium from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1997) and a Doctorate from the Free University of Berlin (2007). Previously, he served as Epimelites at Greece’s Ministry of Culture (2005–2011). His research focuses on Mediterranean archaeology during the Early Iron Age and Archaic periods, with special emphasis on colonization dynamics, burial practices, and socio-economic networks. Key research projects include studies on death and burial practices between the Aegean and Balkans, early Greek colonization in Macedonia and Italy, and the distribution of Early Iron Age Greek pottery across the Mediterranean. He leads FWF-funded projects at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and collaborates on interdisciplinary initiatives combining archaeological and radiocarbon dating methods. His work addresses broader themes such as colonialism, material culture exchange, and the reception of antiquity in modern narratives. Gimatzidis frequently publishes on Aegean ceramic analysis, radiometric chronology, and the socioeconomic ties reflected through pottery production and trade. His research bridges theoretical archaeology with empirical case studies, emphasizing transregional connectivity and cultural interaction. Notable contributions include studies on Sidon’s Protogeometric and Geometric pottery, the colonization of Mende in the Northern Aegean, and the critique of archaeological economy. His interdisciplinary approach combines neutron activation analysis, radiocarbon dating, and traditional archaeological methods to reconstruct ancient Mediterranean networks and chronologies.

Alissa MittnikView profile

Researcher

• Archaeogenetics
• Ancient DNA Analysis
• Social Systems Reconstruction
• +3 more

Alissa Mittnik is a Group Leader at the Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. She leads the 'MySocialBeIng' group, focusing on integrating archaeoscience to reconstruct social systems like kinship, gender roles, and mobility patterns in ancient societies. Her work bridges genetics, archaeology, and cultural studies to understand prehistoric populations. Education: PhD in 2016: University of Tübingen (Investigating Social Dynamics via Ancient DNA) Studies in Biology at Washington University (USA), University of Rostock, and University of Tübingen Research Interests: Genetic correlates of cultural transitions and social hierarchies Mobility in the ancient Mediterranean Archaeogenetic analysis of prehistoric populations Applications of ancient DNA to reconstruct migration and kinship networks Key Projects: Co-led the 'Times of Upheaval' project (2016-2018) on Bronze Age societal changes Published extensively on European, Mediterranean, and African prehistoric populations Lab/Team: Her group combines genomic, isotopic, and archaeological data to address questions about human migration, social organization, and cultural evolution.

Jeremia PelgromView profile

Assistant Professor

• Roman Imperialism and Colonialism
• Roman Republic
• Roman Rural History
• +3 more

Dr. Jeremia Pelgrom is an Assistant Professor in Ancient History at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts. His research focuses on Roman Republican colonialism, rural history, and Hellenistic Italy. He directs projects such as the Landscapes of Early Roman Colonization (NWO-funded) and co-leads the Settler Colonial Paradigms network (SECOPS), exploring the long-term structures of Western colonialism. Pelgrom has held roles including Director of Ancient Studies at the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (2012–2018) and co-directed the Mapping the Via Appia project. His work integrates archaeology, history, and comparative studies to analyze colonial strategies and their modern legacies. Education: PhD in Ancient History (Leiden University, 2012) with a thesis on Roman colonial landscapes. Key projects include comparative analyses of classical and Hellenistic colonization, funded by NWO and collaborative initiatives. He also engages in interdisciplinary research on settler colonialism's historical roots and legal frameworks, notably through the Renaissance of Roman Colonization study. Research Interests: Roman imperialism, colonialism in antiquity, rural settlement patterns, and the reception of classical models in modern colonial discourse. Pelgrom's work bridges ancient and modern contexts, examining how ancient colonial paradigms influenced later colonial practices. His fieldwork includes surveys in southern Italy and the Via Appia corridor. Publications Highlight: Recent studies (2023–2024) focus on Daunian population centers, Roman colonial landscapes, and comparative colonial strategies. His work often employs GIS and legacy data analysis to reconstruct ancient settlement dynamics. Pelgrom collaborates with international teams on projects like the Ancient Colonization comparative platform (www.ancientcolonisation.nl). Grants & Leadership: Secured NWO grants for LERC and MaVA projects. Serves as co-director of SECOPS and contributes to the Colonialism as a Structure theme group at Groningen. His research emphasizes methodological innovation in archaeology and interdisciplinary dialogue. Labs/Teams: Active in the Crasis ancient colonialism network and collaborates with the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome. Projects like Santa Prisca involve re-examining legacy excavation data to uncover new insights into Roman urban and religious landscapes.

Marina UngerView profile

Researcher

• Archaeology
• History of Archaeology
• Media in Archaeology
• +4 more

Marina Unger is a scientific collaborator at the Photographic Collection of the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History since February 2025. She studied Classical Archaeology and Art History at Philipps University of Marburg, University of Naples ‘L'Orientale’, and Humboldt University of Berlin, earning a Magister Artium in 2010. In 2020–2021, she completed a Master’s degree in Literary Translation for Italian at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. Her current doctoral thesis focuses on Greek vase drawings within the archaeological apparatus of the Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica in Rome. Education: Magister Artium (Humboldt University, 2010), Master’s in Literary Translation (LMU Munich, 2021) Her research bridges archaeology , media history , and archival studies , emphasizing nineteenth-century documentation practices like vase drawings and early photography. She contributes to provenance research and digital humanities projects. Recent work includes the DFG-funded Gelehrte, Ausgräber und Kunsthändler project, analyzing the networks of the German Archaeological Institute through correspondence and linked data infrastructure. Collaborations span institutions like the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, with publications on Etruscan tomb paintings, Greek vases, and antiquities trade dynamics. Prior roles include: student assistant at Bildarchiv Foto Marburg, IT department member at Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence, and research assistant at DAI Archives in Berlin. She has also worked as a freelance translator/editor and project manager.

Carolina López-RuizView profile

Professor

• History of Religions
• Comparative Mythology
• Ancient Mediterranean World
• +3 more

Carolina López-Ruiz is a Professor at the University of Chicago, holding joint appointments in the Divinity School, the Department of Classics, and the College. She serves as Department Chair of Classics. Her research focuses on comparative mythology and cultural exchange in the ancient Mediterranean, challenging Hellenocentric paradigms through interdisciplinary analysis of textual and archaeological evidence. Key areas include Greco-Phoenician interactions, Near Eastern and Classical mythological integration, and ancient cosmogonies. Recent work emphasizes Phoenician cultural agency through projects like the Cerro del Villar excavations in Spain, co-directed since 2022 with David Schloen and J. Suárez Padilla. Her 2021 monograph Phoenicians and the Making of the Mediterranean received three major awards, including the Mediterranean Seminar Book Prize and ASOR Frank Moore Cross Award. Publications span monographs, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles addressing topics like deity etymology (Aphrodite's Semitic roots), mythological hybridity (Sphinx, Aion), and disaster narratives (earthquakes/tsunamis in Mediterranean myths). She co-edited the Oxford Handbook of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean (2019) and authored a widely used mythological sourcebook. Her scholarly contributions bridge linguistic, religious, and archaeological methodologies, advocating for a more interconnected understanding of the ancient Mediterranean. Current research continues exploring Phoenician cultural contributions and mythological cross-pollination between Mediterranean civilizations.

John K. PapadopoulosView profile

Professor

• Classical Archaeology
• Aegean Prehistory
• Greek Archaeology
• +7 more

John K. Papadopoulos is a Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), specializing in Classical archaeology with extensive fieldwork across Australia, Greece, Italy, and Albania. He has been integral to the Torone excavation in northern Greece since 1979, serving as field director for excavations and surveys from 1986–1995, and currently co-directs projects at Methone in Pieria, Greece, and collaborates on the Athenian Agora publications. His research spans Aegean prehistory, Greek and Italian archaeology, and Classical-era history, with focused expertise in Athens' topography, Greek colonization, and the Late Bronze/Early Iron Ages. A hallmark of his methodology is the rigorous integration of literary evidence with material culture to reconstruct historical narratives, particularly for transitional periods in the Aegean. Professor Papadopoulos actively leads major archaeological initiatives including the Ancient Methone Archaeological Project and RomeLab, and is currently preparing a two-volume study of Early Iron Age material from the Athenian Agora (Volume I as Agora XXXVI), underscoring his ongoing contributions to Mediterranean archaeology.

Andrew ShaplandView profile

Research Fellow

• Aegean Bronze Age
• Minoan Crete
• Human-Animal Relations
• +3 more

Dr Andrew Shapland is the Sir Arthur Evans Curator of Bronze Age and Classical Greece at the Ashmolean Museum and Supernumerary Fellow in Archaeology at Jesus College, University of Oxford. He holds MA (Cantab) and PhD (UCL) degrees. His research focuses on Minoan material culture, human-animal relations in Bronze Age Crete, and the history of Aegean archaeology. He has directed excavations at Palaikastro since 2020 and co-directed the Knossos Urban Landscape Project. Notable exhibitions include 'Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth & Reality' (2023) and 'Troy: Myth and Reality' (2019). His 2022 monograph on human-animal relations explores Cretan cultural practices through material evidence. Education: BA Archaeology & Anthropology, Peterhouse College, Cambridge MA and PhD in Archaeology, UCL Institute of Archaeology Research Interests: Bronze Age Crete, Minoan art and architecture, history of archaeology, and First World War discoveries in Macedonia. Current projects include digitizing the Sir Arthur Evans Archive and fieldwork at Palaikastro. Teaching: Undergraduate courses on Homeric Archaeology and handling sessions at the Ashmolean. Graduate modules on Aegean Bronze Age archaeology. Fieldwork & Exhibitions: Co-curator of major exhibitions at the British Museum and Ashmolean. Active in Knossos research and post-war archaeological legacy studies in the Balkans.

Nathan ArringtonView profile

Professor

• Ancient Greek Material Culture
• Classics
• Archaeology
• +6 more

Nathan Arrington is a Professor of Art and Archaeology and Hellenic Studies at Princeton University, serving as Chair of his department. He is affiliated with the Department of Classics, the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, and Mathey College. His research focuses on ancient Greek material culture, particularly the intersection of art history, archaeology, and classics. Key projects include the Molyvoti, Thrace Archaeological Project (MTAP), investigating domestic archaeology in a trading port, and his work on haptics in Greek art. Arrington holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (2010). His teaching emphasizes archaeological methods, cultural heritage, and critical analysis of primary sources, often utilizing museum collections. He has excavated at sites including Corinth, Nemea, and Mycenae, alongside co-directing MTAP. His research explores themes like funerary practices, materiality, and cultural memory. Recent work addresses tactile engagement with art and its implications for perception and power. Awards include grants from the Gates Cambridge Trust and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Arrington founded Princeton’s Program in Archaeology and collaborates on initiatives such as the PITHOS program for Greek archaeology. His publications include Ashes, Images, and Memories (2015) and Athens at the Margins (2021), alongside numerous articles on Greek art, archaeology, and cultural exchange.

Adam T RabinowitzView profile

Associate Professor

• Classical Archaeology
• Archaic Greek history
• Food in antiquity
• +8 more

Adam T Rabinowitz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Classics and Assistant Director of the Institute of Classical Archaeology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches courses on classical archaeology, digital approaches to antiquity, and ancient Greek culture. His academic journey began with a PhD from the University of Michigan in 2004, where he completed a dissertation on communal wine-drinking in the colonial Greek world. Rabinowitz's research interests span multiple domains of classical scholarship, with particular focus on Greek colonization, cultural interaction, ancient food and drink practices, the archaeology of daily life, and innovative digital approaches to archaeological documentation and publication. His fieldwork experience spans 25 years across Greek, Roman, and Byzantine sites in Italy, England, Israel, Tunisia, and Ukraine, with significant work at the Chersonesos site in Crimea. His scholarly output reveals a clear trajectory from traditional archaeological research toward digital humanities applications, with recent publications emphasizing digital data preservation, spatial visualization of archaeological information, and the challenges of maintaining scholarly authority in digital publishing environments. This evolution reflects his growing investment in developing sustainable digital infrastructure for archaeological research. Fellow of the American Academy in Rome (2002) Rabinowitz has developed several significant digital humanities projects including Pleiades (a spatial gazetteer of ancient places), GeoDia (an interactive spatial timeline of Mediterranean archaeology), Hestia2 (a narrative time-map of Herodotus's Histories), and PeriodO (a gazetteer of scholarly period definitions). His collaborative work with the Texas Advanced Computing Center has focused on developing strategies for the long-term preservation of digital archaeological data, creating a reflexive system that tracks the entire research lifecycle from primary data collection through interpretation. His fieldwork at Chersonesos has particularly informed his interest in sustainable, locally-directed heritage documentation, exemplified by his work implementing Reflectance Transformation Imaging with staff at the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos in Ukraine.

Mark ThatcherView profile

Associate Professor

• Greek History
• Ethnicity and Identity Studies
• Ancient Mediterranean Studies
• +3 more

Mark Thatcher is an Associate Professor of the Practice in the Department of Classical Studies at Boston College. He holds a Ph.D. from Brown University and specializes in Greek history and culture, particularly focusing on cross-cultural connections and identity formation in ancient Sicily. His research explores themes such as ethnicity, Hellenic identity, and political dynamics in the Archaic and Classical periods. He teaches courses on Greek and Roman history, literature, and language, including 'Greek History,' 'Ancient Sicily,' and advanced language courses in Greek and Latin. Education: Ph.D., Brown University Affiliations: Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Contact: Stokes S245 | 617-552-1807 His major publications include The Politics of Identity in Greek Sicily and Southern Italy (2021) and articles on Syracusan identity and Hellenistic cultural politics. Current projects involve a book on the Sicilian Expedition and studies on Hellenistic Sicily.