Emily Catherine Egan

Emily Catherine Egan is an Assistant Professor specializing in Ancient Eastern Mediterranean Art and Archaeology within the Art History and Archaeology Department at the University of Maryland. She also serves as a faculty affiliate of the Department of Classics.

• Ph.D., University of Cincinnati
• M.Phil., University of Cambridge
• M.A., University of Cincinnati
• B.A., Brown University (Classics & Old World Archaeology and Art)

Dr. Egan’s research focuses on artistic practice in the Bronze Age Aegean, particularly Mycenaean painted surface decoration. Her work explores wall and floor painting iconography, mural reconstruction, cross-craft interactions, and visual literacy in the 14th-13th centuries BC. She has conducted fieldwork across Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Armenia, Cyprus, and Greece.

Her recent publications highlight trends in Aegean wall painting studies, emphasizing emblematic motifs like the argonaut, ritual uses of terracotta figures, and innovative analysis of artists’ grids in floor designs. These works bridge technical analysis with broader cultural interpretations.

Scientific awards include fellowships at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (2009-2011), University of California, Santa Cruz (2015-2016), and Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies (2019-2020).

At Maryland, Dr. Egan teaches undergraduate courses on Greek art and archaeology, Aegean prehistory, ancient portraiture, and the archaeology of color. She is currently preparing a monograph on decorated Mycenaean floors.