J.P. Dessel

J.P. Dessel is an Associate Professor of World History at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, affiliated with the Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in the history and archaeology of the eastern Mediterranean and ancient Near East, focusing on social complexity, urban-rural dynamics, and ethnicity in the Bronze and Iron Ages.

• Directed excavations at Tell el-Wawiyat and Tell ‘Ein Zippori (Israel)
• Co-field director at Tell Tayinat (Turkey)
• Member of the Fern and Manfred Steinfeld Program in Judaic Studies
• Treasurer and Board Member, Albright Institute of Archaeological Research

His research integrates archaeological fieldwork with historical analysis, emphasizing ceramic studies, Chalcolithic chronology, and vernacular architecture traditions in the Levant.

Scientific Awards:

• Frankel Fellowship (University of Michigan, 2009)
• Junior Teaching Award (UTK College of Arts and Sciences, 2005–2006)