Donald C. Haggis

Donald C. Haggis is the Nicholas A. Cassas Professor of Greek Studies and Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). He holds a Ph.D. in Classical Studies from the University of Minnesota and has been affiliated with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the British School of Archaeology at Athens, and the University of Michigan. His research focuses on Aegean settlement structure, Minoan Crete, and early urbanization in the Mediterranean.

• Roles: Department Chair (2020–present), Director of the Azoria Project, Adjunct Professor at Duke University, and Managing Committee member of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.
• Education:
  • Ph.D., Classical Studies, University of Minnesota (1992)
  • M.A. and B.A., Classics, Wayne State University (1983 and 1982)

Research Interests: Haggis investigates settlement behavior, archaeological landscapes, and socio-political change in the Aegean. His work centers on the transition from Minoan to Archaic Greek urbanism, particularly through the Azoria Project in eastern Crete. Key themes include Minoan-Mycenaean continuity, early state formation, and material culture analysis.

Grants & Awards: Recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation, and Wenner-Gren Foundation. Honors include the Best Practices in Site Preservation Award (2012) and Distinguished Alumnus Award (2009).

Labs/Teams: Leads the Azoria Project, a long-term excavation and research initiative examining an Archaic city in Crete. Collaborates with institutions like the Institute for Aegean Prehistory and the Research Laboratories of Archaeology at UNC-CH.

Publications: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles and books, including Classical Archaeology in Context (2015) and The Archaeological Survey of the Kavousi Region (2005). Recent work explores the Azoria civic complex, Minoan feasting practices, and diachronic cultural landscapes.