Silvia Alaura

Dr. Silvia Alaura is a Senior Researcher at the National Research Council (CNR) in Rome and an Adjunct Professor at Sapienza Università di Roma. Her career spans Near Eastern Archaeology, Hittitology, and the history of ancient Near Eastern studies, with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches to cultural rediscovery.

• PhD in Near Eastern Archaeology and Hittitology, University of Florence (1998)
• Postdoctoral research, Freie Universität Berlin (Gerda-Henkel-Stiftung fellowship)

Her research explores Hittite culture through philology, archaeology, and the historiography of ancient Near Eastern studies. Key projects include directing GRISSO (Interdisciplinary Research Group on History of Oriental Studies) and leading the Italian PRIN 2022 PNRR project DiWA (Dialogues between ancient Western Asia and us), alongside coordinating the CNR Research Unit for PRIN 2022 project ALandA (Ancient Landscapes of Anatolia).

Recent publications analyze cuneiform sources on amber trade, Victorian-era Hittite studies, and interdisciplinary methodologies in rediscovering ancient cultures. She has held visiting scholar roles at the University of Oxford and Yale University.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Gerda-Henkel-Stiftung Fellowship
• Editorial Roles:
  • Editor-in-Chief, Documenta Asiana (Quasar Edizioni)
  • Co-Editor-in-Chief and Founder, HANESE (De Gruyter Brill)
  • Advisory Board Member, SMEA NS and ASA
• Leadership:
  • Director of GRISSO project since 2014
  • Principal Investigator for PRIN 2022 PNRR DiWA
  • Coordinator, CNR Rome Research Unit for PRIN 2022 ALandA