Maya Vassileva

Assoc. Prof. Maya Vassileva, PhD is affiliated with the New Bulgarian University in the Department of Mediterranean and Eastern Studies. She specializes in Thracology, Phrygian studies, and ancient Mediterranean history, with extensive fieldwork and publications in archaeology.

• Education:
  • Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (PhD, Thracology, 1991)
  • Sofia University (MA, Ancient and Medieval General History, 1987)
  • Secondary education at 114 High School of Mathematics, Sofia (1981)

Research interests focus on interconnections between Thrace, Anatolia, and the Eastern Balkans during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Her work explores artifact symbolism, metallurgy, and ritual practices across continents.

Scientific contributions include publications on Phrygian and Thracian cultural parallels, Late Bronze Age scepter-maces, and Midas-related studies. She has participated in international symposiums in Turkey, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria.

Projects include collaborations with institutions like the American Research Institute in Turkey, University of Pennsylvania, and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. She has received grants from the Andrew Mellon Foundation and participated in the Globalisation in the First Millennium symposium at NBU.