Alexandra Guglielmi

Alexandra Guglielmi is a PhD Candidate in the UCD School of Archaeology at University College Dublin. Her research, supervised by Professor Gabriel Cooney and self-funded, examines the role of Roman personal ornaments in shaping cultural identity during the Iron Age (AD 1–500) in Ireland and southern Scandinavia. This comparative study explores how these regions, though never conquered by Rome, engaged with Roman material culture to construct social and political identities.

Her research interests center on prehistoric archaeology, cultural interactions, and material culture analysis. Specifically, she investigates how objects like brooches, beads, and toiletry sets were used by local populations to express identity and respond to broader imperial influences. Her work contributes to understanding hybrid cultural developments beyond the Roman frontier.

Collaborating with the Late Iron Age and Roman Ireland (LIARI) project of the Discovery Programme, her study integrates archaeological findings from Ireland, Denmark, and Sweden, analyzing chronological and geographical variations in the adoption of Roman artifacts. This research bridges the gap between elite-driven narratives and everyday practices, offering insights into social dynamics in these regions during the first half of the first millennium AD.

While no specific scientific awards are mentioned, her work has been supported through self-funding. Supervised by Professor Cooney, her research is part of broader institutional initiatives at UCD and the Discovery Programme. She also engages with domestic and grave contexts to trace the lifecycle and cultural meaning of artifacts, addressing recurring patterns of Roman objects appearing in later medieval and Viking contexts.