Milena Melfi

Milena Melfi is a Lecturer of Classical Archaeology at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Classics and a Fellow of New College. She serves as Assistant Curator of the Cast Gallery at the Ashmolean Museum, overseeing its collection of Greek and Roman sculpture casts. Her academic background includes degrees from the University of Pisa (MA) and the University of Messina (PhD), with research fellowships at institutions such as the British School at Athens, the American Academy in Rome, and Harvard University's Center for Hellenic Studies.

Her research focuses on redefining the role and usage of Greek religious sites through interdisciplinary analysis of material and textual evidence. Key projects include directing excavations at Hadrianopolis (Albania, 2008–present), investigating the Plutonium Sanctuary of Hades at Hadrian’s Villa (Italy, 2016), and studying the sanctuary of Poseidon on Tenos (Greece, 2017–18). She also specializes in the archaeology of ancient Epirus and has extensively researched Butrint’s site and territory.

No scientific awards are explicitly listed in the provided text. Her academic contributions include fieldwork leadership and museum curation roles, as well as teaching responsibilities in classical archaeology. She collaborates in international excavations with Italian, Albanian, and UK teams.