معرفی
Tyler Jo Smith is a Professor in the Department of Art at the University of Virginia, specializing in Classical Archaeology and ancient Greek figure-decorated pottery. She serves as Lab Director and Director of Academic Programs for the Caesarea Coastal Archaeology Project, and co-directs the project’s fieldschool in Israel. Smith also leads the 3D-GV cohort, dedicated to digitizing Greek vases at the Fralin Museum, and co-founded Kerameikos.org, an open data initiative for Athenian pottery. Her academic leadership includes directing UVA’s Interdisciplinary Archaeology Program (2011-17, 2019-present) and coordinating the Mediterranean Archaeology PhD program. She was awarded the Z Society Distinguished Faculty Award in 2022 and held the Elizabeth A. Whitehead Professorship at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (2018-2019).
Research Interests: Smith's work bridges the visual and material culture of ancient Greece with performance theory, ritual studies, and digital archaeology. She investigates the representation of animals in religious contexts, the art and archaeology of alcohol, and contextual readings of Greek pottery. Her fieldwork spans excavations in Turkey, Crete, Chios, Thebes, and Sicily. She focuses on how Greek art communicates spectacle, gaze, and ritual, with a strong emphasis on pedagogy and the ethics of teaching sensitive material like death and human remains.
Recent Publications: Her articles examine sacrificial iconography (2024), digital preservation (2024), and trends in Greek art scholarship (2023). She explores dance in vase-painting (2020), mythic storytelling (2014), and colonial cultural exchange (2013), often integrating material culture with interdisciplinary frameworks.
Scientific Awards:
- Z Society Distinguished Faculty Award (2022)
- Elizabeth A. Whitehead Professor (2018-2019)
Advising and Grants: Smith directs graduate programs in Mediterranean archaeology and has secured funding from the NEH for digital projects. She mentors students in Classical archaeology, though specific students are not listed.
Labs and Teams: She leads the 3D-GV cohort at the Fralin Museum and co-directs the Caesarea Coastal Archaeology Project in Israel, focusing on fieldwork and academic training.
