Nicolas Tackett

Nicolas Tackett is a Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in medieval Chinese history. His research focuses on the evolution of Chinese elite society (7th-12th centuries), Song political culture, Northeast Asian interstate relations (10th-13th c.), and Tang-Song transition dynamics.

• PhD, Columbia University (2006)
• MA, Columbia University (2002)
• BS, Stanford University (1998)

His work integrates digital methodologies with traditional historical research, particularly through prosopographic databases analyzing Tang and Song elites. Key themes include political fragmentation, elite migration, and the emergence of national consciousness. He has published extensively on aristocratic decline, frontier dynamics, and mortuary culture.

Recent publications emphasize digital history approaches and comparative analysis of elite transformation. Awards include Guggenheim, ACLS, and NEH fellowships, as well as the James Henry Breasted Prize.

• ACLS Fellowship (2019)
• NEH Fellowship (2019)
• Guggenheim Fellowship (2018)
• James Henry Breasted Prize (2015)
• ACLS Digital Innovation Fellowship (2014-2015)

Professor Tackett previously held teaching positions at Stanford and the University of Tennessee. He currently teaches undergraduate courses on global history, frontier history, and Chinese nationalism.