David M. Ratzan

David M. Ratzan is an Associate Professor of Ancient Studies and Head of the ISAW Library at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW). He joined ISAW in 2014 and previously held roles as Visiting Assistant Professor at Temple University and Lecturer in Contemporary Civilization at Columbia University. His research focuses on ancient economies, Roman Egypt, and material culture, with expertise in papyrology, digital humanities, and archaeological fieldwork. He co-directs NYU’s Amheida Excavations in Egypt and contributed to the Ancient Ink Laboratory, investigating ancient ink composition via Raman spectroscopy.

Key research areas include economic history, legal systems, and cultural practices of antiquity, with publications on maternal absence, transaction costs in ancient economies, and archaeological methodologies. He has edited volumes on topics like maternal absence and legal frameworks in antiquity. Teaching interests span digital humanities, Greco-Roman Egypt, and ancient legal systems. Recent projects include directing excavations at Amheida and publishing on innovative pedagogical approaches like the Agoranomika game for teaching ancient economic concepts.

His academic contributions span interdisciplinary collaborations, including work on dating ancient manuscripts and analyzing numismatic evidence from Egyptian sites. Courses taught include 'Cultures and Contexts: Greco-Roman Egypt' and 'Introduction to Digital Humanities for the Ancient World.'