Matthew McCarty

Matthew McCarty is Associate Professor of Roman Archaeology and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Arts. His research focuses on the entanglements of social power, materiality, production, and worship on the edges of the Roman Empire, with special interests in North Africa, Dacia (Romania), and Syria.

• Education: BA in Classical Civilization & Art History from Yale University; MSt and DPhil in Classical/Archaeology from the University of Oxford
• Prior appointments: Lecturer at Worcester College, Oxford (2009-2010); Lecturer at University of Warwick (2009-2010); Andrew Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University (2010-2012); Perkins-Cotsen Fellow at Princeton University (2012-2015)

McCarty identifies as a postcolonial, neo-Marxist archaeologist whose work examines imperialism, colonialism, and identity in the ancient world through interdisciplinary and comparative approaches. His research emphasizes how religious knowledge in the Roman world was material rather than text-based, arguing that a history of Roman religion should start from 'things' rather than sacred texts. He has developed significant expertise in Mithraism, Roman provincial archaeology, and the archaeology of ancient religion, with particular attention to cross-cultural comparisons (especially with Qin/Han China).

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Roman provincial religion, particularly in North Africa and Dacia, with increasing attention to environmental aspects, colonial impacts, and methodological approaches to studying material religion. McCarty's work shows a clear evolution from studying specific sites and practices toward broader theoretical frameworks for understanding religious transformation in the Roman Empire, with recent publications emphasizing postcolonial perspectives on Roman archaeology.

McCarty actively supervises graduate students, particularly those interested in ancient religion or Roman provinces, and co-directs a field project in Roman Dacia where students can participate in excavation. He teaches a range of courses from introductory Classical Archaeology to specialized topics on Roman archaeology, ancient religion, Greek/Roman art, and a course he developed on Greek and Roman technology in social contexts.

His current major projects include 'The Materiality of Religion in the Roman World' monograph, the Apulum Mithraeum III Project, research on the Mithraeum at Dura-Europos, and the Apulum Roman Villas Project examining rural society in Roman Dacia. He is also working on forthcoming books including 'Divine Labours. Work and Worship Between Ideology and Economy in the Roman Empire' and 'Materializing Mithras.'