Melissa Kennedy

Dr. Melissa Kennedy is a Lecturer in Archaeology at The University of Sydney. Her research focuses on Holocene landscapes of the Levant and Arabian Peninsula, particularly investigating the socio-cultural impacts of ancient climate change and architectural monumentality. She co-directs the Prehistoric AlUla and Khaybar Excavation Project (PAKEP), exploring Middle Holocene monumentality in Saudi Arabia and the 4.2 kyr BP climatic event's societal effects.

Education: BA Hons (I), PhD.

Research interests include mustatil architecture, funerary practices, and cultural hybridization in antiquity. Her work bridges environmental archaeology and cultural studies, examining how ancient populations adapted to aridification and interacted across regions.

Publications highlight her expertise in Neolithic monumentality, ceramic analysis, and Levantine chronology. Notable projects include excavations at AlUla and Khaybar, yielding insights into ritual practices and pastoral economies.

Advising: Supervising Jacek Wankowski on 'Northern Arabia Mobile Pastoralism.' Collaborates with international teams on aerial archaeology and radiometric dating in Saudi Arabia.

Labs/Projects: PAKEP integrates multi-scalar methodologies to document Arabian archaeological landscapes, emphasizing aerial surveys and ground investigations.