Betsy Bevis

Betsy Bevis is Lecturer of Classical Civilization and Archaeology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, holding appointments in the Department of Classics within the School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics and the Program in Medieval Studies in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Education:

• PhD in History of Art, Johns Hopkins University
• MA in Classical Archaeology, University of Missouri - Columbia
• BA in Classics, Gustavus Adolphus College

Research Focus: Her work centers on Roman Art and Archaeology with specialized attention to late Roman Gaul and Hispania, examining Roman villas and their early medieval legacy, non-elite rural communities, and ancient textiles/dress. She critically investigates the political and social frameworks of 19th-century archaeological practices while integrating postcolonial perspectives into classical studies. Her fieldwork bridges Late Antiquity and Early Medieval Archaeology through material culture analysis.

Field Leadership: As director of the Santa Susana Archaeological Project in Portugal's Alentejo region, she leads ongoing excavations of a Roman villa complex while training students through field schools. Prior teaching roles include positions at Johns Hopkins University and the Catholic University of America before joining Illinois.