Sanjyot Mehendale

Dr. Sanjyot Mehendale is a Lecturer in Central Asian Archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in Eurasian trade and cultural exchange networks. She serves as Chair of the Tang Center for Silk Road Studies and Vice Chair of the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies.

• Doctorandus, Indo-Iranian Art and Archaeology, Leiden University
• PhD, Eurasian Trading Networks, UC Berkeley (1997)

Her research spans terrestrial Silk Road archaeology in Sogdiana and maritime studies in the Indian Ocean, with fieldwork projects in Uzbekistan (Begram, Tugunbulak) and Sri Lanka (shipwreck excavation). Recent work focuses on integrating material culture analysis with network theories.

Scientific awards include:

• Mabelle McLeod Lewis Dissertation Fellowship
• Stahl Fund grants
• Mellon Foundation support
• National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships and grants

She has collaborated with the National Geographic Society on exhibition curation and works with the Silk Road Ensemble (Yo-Yo Ma) on academic outreach.