Nicola Laneri

Nicola Laneri is a Full Professor of Archaeology and Art History of the Ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean at the University of Catania, Department of Humanities. He also serves as Director of the School of Religious Studies at CAMNES in Florence. His academic career includes visiting positions at Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Leiden University, and the Middle East Technical University in Ankara.

• University: University of Catania
• School: Department of Humanities
• Academic Rank: Professor
• Email: nlaneri@unict.it, nicolalaneri@hotmail.com
• Office: Palazzo Ingrassia (Via Biblioteca 4), Catania
• Office Hours: Monday and Thursday, 9:00–12:00
• Website: disum.academia.edu/nicolalaneri

Education and Academic Appointments:

• Ph.D., University of Naples L'Orientale (1999)
• Fulbright Research Scholar, Columbia University (2000)
• Research Fellow, Italian Academy at Columbia University (2000)
• Visiting Professor, Middle East Technical University, Ankara (2002–2004)
• Research Fellow, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago (2005)
• Erasmus Visiting Professor, Leiden University (2015)

Research Interests:
Nicola Laneri specializes in the archaeology of religion, funerary practices, and material culture in the Ancient Near East. His work investigates the development of religious systems, ritual transformation, and socioeconomic dynamics across Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the Eastern Mediterranean. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Azerbaijan.

Recent Publications and Research Trends:
His recent publications reflect a strong focus on the material dimensions of religion, funerary archaeology, and urban development. Key themes include the emergence of polytheism, the social analysis of death rituals, and ceramic production technologies. The 15 most recent works demonstrate a consistent engagement with interdisciplinary approaches, combining archaeology, anthropology, and textual analysis to reconstruct ancient belief systems and socioeconomic structures.

Scientific Awards:

• Laurentum Prize (2024)

Advising and Research Grants:
Laneri supervises graduate students in topics ranging from Mesopotamian iconography to contemporary museum practices. He has directed or co-directed major archaeological projects including the Hirbemerdon Tepe Archaeological Project (2003–2016), the GaRKAP in Azerbaijan (since 2017), and the Baghdad Urban Archaeological Project at Tell Muhammad (since 2022). He is Principal Investigator of the PRIN 2020 project 'Godscapes: Modeling Second Millennium BCE Polytheisms in the Eastern Mediterranean,' funded by MUR.

Labs and Research Teams:
He leads international research collaborations involving scholars from Italy, Azerbaijan, the United States, and the Netherlands. His teams integrate archaeological excavation, material analysis, and digital modeling to explore ancient urban and religious landscapes. He is actively involved in training the next generation of archaeologists and fostering cross-institutional academic partnerships.