Simon Dorso

Simon Dorso is a postdoctoral researcher at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, specializing in the archaeology and history of medieval Islamic societies with a focus on the Mediterranean world, the Horn of Africa, and the Levant. He is currently involved in multiple research programs including the ANR Ecomed (2024-2028), ANR InterMedÉ (2024-2028), and serves as co-director of the IFAO Kom el-Afrah project (2024-2025). His research spans from the medieval Levant (11th-14th century) to Ethiopia, examining Muslim settlements, funerary practices, and cultural interactions.

• PhD in History from Université Lyon 2 Lumière (2021)
• Previous teaching positions at Aix-Marseille University, University of Montpellier 3, and Université Lumière Lyon 2
• Extensive field experience in archaeological excavations across Israel, Ethiopia, and Somaliland

Dorso's research interests center on the archaeology of medieval Islamic societies, particularly focusing on settlement patterns, funerary practices, and cultural interactions between Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities. His work examines how religious communities coexisted and interacted in shared landscapes, with special attention to sacred topographies and syncretic practices. He employs interdisciplinary approaches combining archaeological fieldwork, epigraphic analysis, and historical documentation to reconstruct social, economic, and religious dynamics of medieval societies.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the archaeology of Muslim cemeteries in Ethiopia, medieval trade networks, and Crusader-period settlements. The research shows a consistent pattern of examining how material culture reflects religious identity, cultural exchange, and social organization in frontier regions. His work bridges regional studies of the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East, revealing interconnected historical processes across these areas.

Dorso has organized numerous academic events including international conferences and exhibitions in Rome and Aix-en-Provence. He serves as a reviewer for multiple archaeological journals including Journal of Archaeological Methods and Theory and Revue des Mondes Musulmans et de la Méditerranée. His current research projects examine Mediterranean economies at the end of the Middle Ages (1350-1600) and interactions in medieval Ethiopia.

As an active field archaeologist, Dorso has directed or participated in excavations at significant sites including the Christian cemetery of Atlit (Israel), Muslim cemeteries in Ethiopia (Bilet, Arra, Habera), and the medieval port of Zayla in Somaliland. His methodological approach emphasizes the importance of small finds and material culture in understanding daily life, trade networks, and cultural interactions in medieval societies.