Catherine Vanderheyde

Professor Catherine Vanderheyde is a distinguished scholar in Byzantine art and archaeology at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), where she has taught since 2001. She also holds a position as Lecturer in Byzantine Art and Archaeology at the University of Strasbourg's Faculty of Historical Sciences. As director of the French archaeological mission at Caričin Grad (Justiniana Prima) in Serbia since 2019, she leads significant research on Emperor Justinian's 6th-century city near his birthplace. Her academic journey includes doctoral studies at the University of Paris I, specialization in Byzantine studies at German and Greek institutions, and membership in the French School at Athens.

Professor Vanderheyde's research centers on Byzantine architectural sculpture from the 4th to 15th centuries, with particular expertise in Balkan archaeology (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia). Her work examines materials, construction techniques, decoration methods, and the location of sculptors' workshops. Since directing excavations at Caričin Grad, she has expanded her research into urban planning and hydraulic systems of Balkan cities during Late Antiquity and the early Byzantine period. She employs a multidisciplinary approach that integrates traditional archaeological methods with digital tools including ground-penetrating radar, lidar, and 3D modeling.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on religious architecture in the Proto-Byzantine period, particularly in ancient Epirus. The analysis of her 15 most recent articles shows consistent attention to Balkan archaeology, Byzantine architectural sculpture, and the integration of digital methodologies in archaeological research. Her scholarly output spans multiple disciplines including art history, archaeology, and Byzantine studies, with particular emphasis on the relationship between architectural features and cultural contexts.

Professor Vanderheyde has supervised multiple doctoral students, including Carmela Battista (2019) and Maria Noussis (2021). She teaches undergraduate courses and provides research supervision at Master's and doctoral levels at both ULB and the University of Strasbourg. In 2014, she defended her Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR) at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris.

• Co-director of CG-NICOPOLIS program (2022-2026) with French School in Rome
• Author of 'La sculpture byzantine du IXe au XVe siècle. Contexte – Mise en œuvre – Décors' (2020)
• Editor of 'La sculpture byzantine (VIIe-XIIe siècles)' (2008)
• Published 'La sculpture architecturale du thème de Nikopolis du Xe au début du XIIIe siècle' (2005)

As director of the CReA-PATRIMOINE research center at ULB, Professor Vanderheyde oversees a vibrant research environment focused on archaeology and heritage. Her leadership of the French archaeological mission at Caričin Grad represents a significant international collaboration that has positioned her at the forefront of Byzantine urban archaeology. Her integration of digital archaeological methods with traditional approaches has helped renew research questions in the field and opened new avenues for understanding early Byzantine urban centers.