Gundula Mehnert

Dr. Gundula Mehnert is a Research Associate at the Seminar for Classical Archaeology within the Faculty of Philosophy I at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. She has maintained continuous affiliation with the university since 1992, progressing from student to academic staff member. Since 2013, she has been working on the project "Cults within the Cult" funded by the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts, focusing on the internal religious structure of Greek extra-urban sanctuaries and ancient initiation rites.

Dr. Mehnert's educational background includes:

• 1992-2000: Studied art history, classical archaeology, Byzantine art history and early Christian archaeology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples
• 2000: Master of Arts at Martin Luther University with thesis "The Thorn Puller: An Ancient Image in a Christian Context"
• 2007: Doctorate (Dr. phil.) at Martin Luther University with dissertation "Scythika in Transkaukasien: Equestrian Nomadic Material Culture in the Archaeological Context"
• 2000-2001: Fellow of the Graduate School "Anatolia and its Neighbours" at Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen

Her primary research focuses on the Archaeology in the South Caucasus of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages, with particular expertise in initiation and passage rites in ancient Greece, Greek cults and sanctuaries, and the reception of antiquity. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Georgia and Azerbaijan, examining nomadic-sedentary cultural interactions and religious practices. Her methodological approach combines material culture analysis with theoretical frameworks for understanding cultural exchange and religious structures in antiquity.

Her publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory from South Caucasus archaeology toward Greek religious structures. Early works focus on Scythian material culture in Transcaucasia and Achaemenid-period sites in Azerbaijan, while more recent publications show increased emphasis on Greek cults and initiation rites. This evolution reflects her ongoing project "Cults within the Cult" while maintaining her foundational expertise in Caucasian archaeology. Her work bridges Near Eastern, Caucasian, and Mediterranean archaeological traditions with strong methodological rigor in material culture analysis.

Dr. Mehnert has been actively involved with the Centre for Archaeology and Cultural History of the Black Sea Region (ZAKS e.V.) since 2008, serving on its board and contributing to Archaeologia Circumpontica. She has participated in multiple research projects including the Collaborative Research Center 586 "Difference and Integration" (2001-2005), directed archaeological surveys in Georgia, and co-directed excavations in Azerbaijan. Her work has been supported by funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts, demonstrating sustained scholarly recognition of her research contributions.