Elisa Iori

Elisa Iori is a Researcher at the Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, specializing in the archaeology and art history of Central Asia and India. She leads the Rita Levi Montalcini research program 'Archeologie della Crisi' and serves as vice-director of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan (ISMEO/Ca’ Foscari). Her academic journey includes a PhD from the University of Bologna, postgraduate training at the University of Cambridge, and extensive fieldwork across Italy, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

• PhD in Cultural Heritage Studies, University of Bologna (2014–2018)
• Postgraduate Specialization, University of Cambridge (2013–2014)
• MA in Archaeological and Historical Sciences: East and West, Sapienza University of Rome (2010–2013)
• BA in Archaeological and Historical Sciences of the Classical and Oriental World, Sapienza University of Rome (2006–2010)

Elisa Iori’s research centers on urban archaeology and the material dimensions of religion in ancient South and Central Asia, particularly in the Indo-Iranian frontier. She applies theoretical frameworks such as 'urban religion,' 'material religion,' and 'lived religion' to analyze the socio-religious transformations of late antique northwestern South Asia. Her work explores the interplay between urban spaces, religious practices, and cultural continuity, with a focus on Buddhist communities in Gandhara and Swat.

Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on ceramic analysis, urban development, religious landscapes, and cross-cultural interactions. Themes include the urbanization of Gandhara, the role of wine in ritual and economy, overlapping sacred and urban landscapes, and the Buddhist saṅghārāma as an alternative urban model. These works reflect interdisciplinary methodologies and a deep engagement with material culture and spatial analysis.

• Vincitrice Bando Perfezionamento post-laurea all'estero 2013 (Sapienza Università di Roma)
• Vincitrice Bando 2021, Programma Rita Levi Montalcini

Elisa Iori has supervised and contributed to numerous international research projects, including ALIPH’s 'Saving the Archaeological site of Bazira' and UNESCO-World Bank initiatives in Afghanistan. She has taught university courses at Ca' Foscari and the University of Erfurt and regularly presents at international conferences. She is also active in academic service, serving on the editorial board of the Journal of Asian Civilizations and co-founding the journal Essays in Long Late Antiquity (ELLA).

She is a key member of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan and has led fieldwork at Barikot and Butkara in the Swat Valley. Her research integrates field data with theoretical models to understand urban resilience and religious transformation in ancient contexts.