Nicolle Hirschfeld

Nicolle Hirschfeld is a Professor of Classical Studies at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, specializing in Mediterranean and underwater archaeology with a focus on the Late Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean. Her extensive fieldwork includes excavations at underwater and terrestrial sites throughout the eastern Mediterranean and museum research across Europe, particularly examining cultural interactions among Late Bronze Age Greece, Anatolia, Cyprus, and Egypt.

Dr. Hirschfeld's educational background includes a Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. from Texas A&M University, and a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College. Her research centers on ancient seafaring, with particular emphasis on the Cape Gelidonya and Uluburun shipwrecks dating to approximately 1300 and 1200 BCE. She has made significant contributions to the study of potmarks (ancient barcodes), the scripts of ancient Cyprus, and trade networks of the Bronze Age Mediterranean.

Her scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on material evidence as a pathway to understanding ancient trade, cultural interactions, and administrative systems. The publications reveal a methodological approach that combines meticulous artifact analysis with broader historical questions about connectivity in the ancient world, particularly through the study of pottery markings as evidence of trade and exchange networks.

• Trinity University Summer Research Stipend (2018, 2014, 2007, 2005)
• CAORC Responsive Preservation Initiative for Cultural Heritage Resources Program (2017)
• Curtiss & Mary G. Brennan Foundation Grant (2017)
• ACS Faculty Advancement Grants (2016, 2008)
• Mellon Initiative Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (2015)
• Trinity University Distinguished Junior Faculty Award (2010)
• Franklin Research Grant, American Philosophical Society (2010)

Dr. Hirschfeld has secured substantial research funding from prestigious organizations including the American Philosophical Society, Fulbright Program, and Council of American Overseas Research Centers. Her collaborations with institutions like the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Archaeological Institute of America have advanced the field of Mediterranean archaeology. She actively involves undergraduate students in research through programs like the Mellon Initiative Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, demonstrating her commitment to mentoring the next generation of archaeologists. Her work with the Cypro-Minoan Corpus Project represents a significant contribution to the understanding of ancient writing systems in the eastern Mediterranean.