Sheira Cohen

Dr. Sheira Cohen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of North Carolina. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, an M.A. from the University of Sydney, and a B.A. from the University of Auckland. Previously, she taught at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome (Centro) and joined UNC in 2025. Her research focuses on pre-Roman Italy, particularly community formation and mobility in western central Italy during the first millennium BCE, integrating biochemical analyses (stable isotopes) with traditional archaeological methods. She also specializes in digital humanities, including 3D modeling and interactive mapping. Dr. Cohen leads fieldwork at Gabii, Italy, examining Archaic and Iron Age remains, and oversees the Gabii Project field-school for undergraduates. Her work bridges environmental archaeology, mobility studies, and digital innovation.

Her research outputs include a co-edited volume on Production, Trade, and Connectivity in Pre-Roman Italy (2024) and a forthcoming edited volume on Early Rome. She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining material culture analysis with anthropological theory. Current projects involve publishing findings from Gabii’s Iron Age settlement clusters and exploring new biochemical techniques for tracing human and animal mobility.

Teaching responsibilities include courses on Roman archaeology, ancient urbanism, archaeological theory, and mortuary studies. She actively collaborates with international scholars and offers opportunities for students in both fieldwork and digital archaeology, emphasizing accessibility without prerequisites in pre-Roman Italy or archaeology.