David Schloen

David Schloen is the John A. Wilson Professor of Archaeology and Digital Studies at the University of Chicago, affiliated with the College, the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, and the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. He specializes in the archaeology of the Levant during the Bronze and Iron Ages, directing excavations in Israel, Turkey, and Spain. His work integrates archaeological and textual evidence to explore ancient socio-political structures and cultural transformations.

Education: Ph.D. in Archaeology from Harvard University (1995). He has taught at the University of Chicago since 1994. Research focuses on Canaanite, Israelite, and Phoenician societies, emphasizing household organization, trade networks, and digital methodologies. He co-developed the OCHRE computational platform for cultural heritage data integration, advocating for context-sensitive ontologies in humanities research.

Field projects include excavations at Ashkelon, Tel Yaqush, Alalakh, Sam’al, Tell Keisan, and Cerro del Villar. His publications synthesize archaeological findings with theoretical frameworks, such as Max Weber’s patrimonialism, to explain societal evolution. He teaches courses on Near Eastern archaeology, digital humanities, and social theory.

Professional contributions include founding the M.A. program in Digital Studies and directing the Forum for Digital Culture. His work critiques disembodied AI and emphasizes human-centered digital tools for humanities research.