Paul Bertrand is a Research Fellow at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain) in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, holding the Shelby Cullom Davis Center Fellowship for Spring 2025. His research centers on Medieval History, European History, and Historical Forgeries, with a focus on critical analysis of medieval political structures and documentary authenticity. His work examines how fabricated regimes and documents functioned within medieval societal frameworks. His 2025 publication "Forging the European Middle Ages: An Essay on the Regimes of Fake" represents current scholarship in History and Medieval Studies, exploring subfields including Medieval Political Systems, Historical Forgeries, and Document Authentication through rigorous source criticism methodologies.
Álvaro Ibáñez Chacón is a Professor at the Department of Greek Philology and Slavic Philology within the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at the University of Granada. His work focuses on classical philology, Byzantine studies, and mythography, with an emphasis on textual transmission, hagiography, and late antique scholarship. He is based at the Cartuja University Campus in Granada, Spain. Research spans Byzantine textual analysis, classical mythography, and hagiographical traditions Specializes in manuscript studies and pseudepigraphical texts Active in analyzing Photius' Bibliotheca and its medieval legacy Article Trends : His recent publications examine Byzantine hagiography, transmission of ancient mythological texts, and pseudepigraphical practices. Key subfields include martyr narratives, Photius' editorial methods, and Greco-Roman symbolism in medieval contexts.
Matthew Winterbottom is an academic researcher at the University of Oxford serving as Assistant Keeper and Curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Ashmolean Museum. Supported by Barrie and Deedee Wigmore, his work spans European decorative arts from the late medieval to early 20th centuries, with expertise in metalwork, furniture, ceramics, glass, textiles, and sculpture. His research focuses on 19th-century design reform (notably William Burges and Christopher Dresser), history of Kunstkammern, and the social history of objects, including their use in food and dining. He is a Co-Investigator for the Chromotope ERC-funded project, leading the 2023–24 exhibition Colour Revolution: Victorian Art, Design and Fashion . Holding significant responsibilities for the Ashmolean’s Western Art Sculpture and Decorative Arts collections since 2017, he has curated the Michael Wellby Gallery and integrated decorative arts into 19th-century art galleries. His career includes roles at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Royal Collection, and Holburne Museum, where he redesigned collections for public accessibility.
Dr. Daniela Williams is a Researcher in the Department of Numismatics at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Vienna). Her work focuses on the history of numismatic scholarship, ancient coin circulation patterns, and the intersection of numismatics with archaeological and historical methodologies. She leads projects such as Reproducing Antiquity: Casts of Ancient Coins and Fontes Inediti Numismaticae Antiquae (FINA) , which explore archival materials and unedited sources related to early modern numismatic practices. Her research interests include Greek and Roman coinage, Italian coin finds, and the historiography of numismatics. Notable projects involve analyzing Joseph Eckhel's contributions to 18th-century numismatics and investigating historical coin collections like Queen Christina of Sweden's Roman holdings. Williams also studies forgery practices, such as those of Osman Bey in the 18th century, and collaborates on excavations like the coin finds at Ferento (Etruria) and Monte Iato in Sicily. Her publications span over two decades, examining topics from Renaissance coin-gem interactions to crusader coinage in Vienna's collections. She actively engages with both primary sources and modern archaeological data, contributing to interdisciplinary discussions in numismatic studies.
Professor Sarah Pearce is the Ian Karten Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Southampton, affiliated with the School of Humanities and Department of History. She holds academic qualifications including a DPhil (University of Oxford, 1995) and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Her research focuses on ancient Jewish history and literature, particularly in Hellenistic and Roman contexts, with specializations in Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, and Egyptian-Jewish interactions. She has led major projects such as 'Israel in Egypt' and contributed to publications on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint. Her career includes leadership roles as Head of History (2012-2015) and Head of the School of Humanities (2018-2023). Pearce actively engages in academic service, serving as Chair of the Society of Biblical Literature's Hellenistic Judaism unit and Chair of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society. She has also participated in public lectures, including BBC Radio 4's 'In Our Time' discussing the Dead Sea Scrolls. Current research includes new translations of Philo's 'On the Decalogue' and the 'Letter of Aristeas.' She supervises PhD students in ancient history and Jewish studies, with one current student listed. Her work bridges textual analysis with historical context, emphasizing the intersection of Jewish thought and Greco-Roman worlds.
Mercedes García-Arenal is a Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Madrid since 1990, specializing in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Muslim West, religious minorities, and interfaith dynamics. She has held visiting appointments at Princeton, Harvard, and London institutions. Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies (Universidad Complutense, 1976) B.A/M.A. in Arabic and Hebrew Studies (Universidad Complutense, 1972) Her research focuses on conversion, identity formation, and religious conflict in Iberia and the Maghreb, with particular attention to Mudejars/Moriscos and Jewish communities. Current work examines religious dissimulation and polemics. Her publications span 70+ articles and multiple monographs. Her recent academic honors include the 2012 European Research Council Advanced Grant and invitations to deliver lectures at Princeton, Harvard, and Cambridge. She has chaired Ph.D. committees at Universidad Complutense, Barcelona, and the University of Chicago.
Ana Drob is a Researcher at the ARHEOINVEST Center within the Department of Exact and Natural Sciences at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași. Her work focuses on prehistoric archaeology and archaeometry, with expertise in ceramic analysis, interdisciplinary techniques, and artifact authentication. She has conducted fieldwork at numerous archaeological sites across Romania, specializing in Bronze Age pottery technologies, raw material sourcing, and functional use studies. Her doctoral research centered on the interdisciplinary investigation of prehistoric pottery using advanced methods such as Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), µFT-IR spectroscopy, and ThermoGravimetric Analysis/Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA/DTA). This work emphasized understanding ceramic production techniques, firing processes, and container functionality in the East-Carpathian region. Recent articles highlight her contributions to AI-driven artifact authentication, Bronze Age ceramic technologies, and non-invasive analysis of metal objects. She has explored topics such as pigment analysis in miniature vessels, interdisciplinary approaches to fragmented archaeological finds, and experimental kiln reconstruction to replicate Chalcolithic pottery production. While no scientific awards are explicitly noted, her research reflects a commitment to advancing archaeological methodologies. Her work has implications for cultural heritage preservation, historical authenticity verification, and understanding prehistoric technological innovations. She collaborates with the ARHEOINVEST Center on projects involving Cucuteni culture settlements and medieval numismatic studies.
Anna Trumbore Jones is a Professor of History at Lake Forest College, specializing in Medieval History, Late Antiquity, and the History of Christianity. She holds a PhD from Columbia University and a BA from the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on episcopal authority, medieval religious institutions, and the social dynamics of medieval Aquitaine. Jones has received numerous awards, including the Charles F. Behling Award (2021) and the William L. Dunn Award (2008), recognizing her teaching and scholarship. Her work spans monographs, articles, and book reviews, addressing topics like medieval canon law, papal authority, and post-Viking reconstruction in Aquitaine. Her courses include History 110: Global Change , History 243: Crusade and Holy War , and History 328: The European Reformations . She has also led research initiatives funded by grants from Lake Forest College and the Mellon Foundation. Research Interests: Dr. Jones examines the interplay between bishops, religious communities, and lay power in medieval Europe. Her work highlights how ecclesiastical institutions navigated crises such as Viking invasions and papal reforms. She employs interdisciplinary methods, analyzing charters, legal texts, and historical narratives to reconstruct medieval social and religious landscapes. Grants & Awards: ACM FaCE Grant (2018) for collaborative teaching projects Multiple Junior Faculty Grants (2004–2006) Mellon Foundation Interpretive Seminar (2002) Labs/Teams: Jones collaborates with scholars in France (e.g., CESCM in Poitiers) and regularly presents at conferences like the International Congress on Medieval Studies. She contributes to digital initiatives, including the Digital Chicago: Unearthing History and Culture program.
Georg-D. Schaaf is a Part-Time Lecturer at the University of Münster's Department of History and Philosophy since 2008. His academic background includes a Magister Artium in Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Art History (1999), doctoral studies at Bonn University (2000–2003), and specialized training in Late Antique and Byzantine archaeology at Fribourg University (2003–2004). He has conducted fieldwork in Greece and Germany, focusing on Roman and Byzantine numismatics. Education: 1992–1999: Studies in Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Art History at Freiburg, Mainz, and Basel Universities 1994/1995: Academic year at University of Ioannina, Greece 1999: Magister Artium from Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg 2000–2003: Doctoral studies at University of Bonn 2003/2004: Advanced studies in Paleochristian and Byzantine Archaeology at University of Fribourg (CH) His research focuses on Late Antiquity and Byzantine architecture and numismatics. Key projects include rediscovering Roman coins in Rhineland-Palatinate and analyzing imperial coin inscriptions. He has published extensively on Byzantine coinage and collaborated on exhibitions at the University of Fribourg's Bible + Orient Museum. Professional Contributions: Curated numismatic exhibitions showcasing Byzantine coin portraiture Authored/co-authored peer-reviewed articles in Boreas , Byzantinische Zeitschrift , and sehepunkte Contributed to the Research Center for Ancient Numismatics at Münster His work bridges archaeological analysis with historical interpretation, emphasizing how numismatic evidence illuminates political and religious dynamics in the Byzantine world.
Sandra Covino is a Full Professor in the field of Italian Linguistics (LIFI-01/A) at the University for Foreigners of Perugia, affiliated with the Department of Italian Language, Literature, and Arts in the World (LILAIM). She has held leadership roles including coordination of the PhD programs in 'Sciences of Language' and 'Linguistic and Philological Sciences' (cycles XXV–XXVIII) and served as Director of the Department of Human and Social Sciences (2016–2017). Her research spans a broad range of topics in historical and philological linguistics, including: History of the Italian language Linguistics and ideology, particularly in the interwar period Language policy and national identity Forged and parodied texts in Italian literary history History of lexicography and bureaucratic language Teaching Italian as both native and second language Epistolary editions and intellectual networks Her recent publications reflect deep engagement with the ideological dimensions of linguistics, the cultural history of forgery, and critical editions of scholarly correspondence. She is currently leading the University for Foreigners of Perugia's unit in the PRIN 2022 project Scholars at War Digital Library and co-directing an international project on Clemente Merlo’s linguistic writings funded by the University of Zurich. She has been an invited speaker at numerous international conferences and has organized several academic events at her institution. She is an active member of key scholarly associations, including the Association for the History of the Italian Language (ASLI), the Center for Sicilian Philological and Linguistic Studies, and the Roman Philological Society. She also serves on the Observatory of the Italian Language at the Italian Embassy in Washington DC and the Scientific and Educational Council of the ICoN Consortium. Sandra Covino advises no listed students in the provided text but has played a major role in doctoral education. She has participated in multiple national and international research projects and continues to lead funded initiatives. She teaches core courses such as Italian Linguistics and History of the Italian Language and Italian Outside Italy across various degree programs, including Digital Humanities and Italian for Teaching Foreigners. She maintains an open office policy, offering both in-person and remote consultations for students.
Federico Montinaro is a researcher at the Department of History , part of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Tübingen . He leads a research group under the Emmy Noether-Programm der DFG since 2021, focusing on religious conflict and mobility between Antiquity and the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean world (700-900 CE). Current affiliation: University of Tübingen Emmy Noether-Programm research group leader Previous academic roles: Postdoctoral researcher (2015-2019), Research Associate (2019) His research spans Byzantine history , Eastern European medieval studies , South Italian medieval history , medieval diplomacy , paleography , numismatics , and historical theology . Notably, he analyzes religious conflict dynamics, particularly during the Photian Schism and Iconoclast periods, through interdisciplinary approaches combining textual, material, and archaeological evidence. Key article trends reflect: Byzantine council acts and theological disputes Analysis of imperial numismatic reforms Urban reconstruction in medieval Mediterranean Slavic-Byzantine political interactions Euergetic imperial ideology Manuscript transmission of historical texts Scientific recognition includes: DFG Emmy Noether-Programm fellowship Fritz-Thyssen-Stiftung stipend (2014) He has supervised research projects on the Seventh-Century Syrian Numismatic Round Table , co-organized conferences like The Road to Rome (2022) on religious conflict and mobility, and contributed to Comparative Codicology and A Companion to Procopius (2017).
Matilda Amundsen Bergström is a Researcher at the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion at the University of Gothenburg. Her work focuses on early modern women's intellectual history, particularly Scandinavian women philosophers and poets from the 17th and 18th centuries. Dr. Bergström completed her doctoral thesis titled "As a Sappho. Three Early Modern Authors and their Strategies of Publication, Self-Presentation and Rhetoric" at the University of Gothenburg in 2019. Her research examines how early modern women writers like Louise Labé, Katherine Philips, and Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht presented themselves as heirs to Sappho's poetic tradition. Her primary research interests include early modern women poets and philosophers, with special focus on ethics, rhetoric, and issues of authority. Dr. Bergström is currently leading the project "A Happy Life. Women's Moral Philosophy in 17th- and 18th-Century Scandinavia," funded by Riksbankens jubileumsfond, which explores how Scandinavian intellectuals like Birgitte Thott, Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht, Agneta Horn, and others philosophized about happiness and the meaning of a good life. She is also part of the Swedish Research Council-funded project "Making Enlightenment Happen. Gothenburg Women in 18th-Century Swedish Public Life," which investigates how female authors, printers, editors, journalists, actors, translators, and readers contributed to the Enlightenment in late 18th-century Gothenburg. Dr. Bergström's extensive publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on early modern women's intellectual contributions, particularly examining Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht's philosophical thought. Her scholarship spans from 2014 to 2024 and shows a clear trajectory of deepening engagement with women's philosophical and literary contributions during the Enlightenment era. Her work frequently addresses themes of gender, authority, self-presentation, and the intersection of literature and philosophy in the early modern period, with particular attention to rhetorical strategies employed by women writers to establish credibility in intellectual spheres. Dr. Bergström has received research funding from prestigious institutions including Riksbankens jubileumsfond and the Swedish Research Council for her projects on women's intellectual history. Her collaborative work, such as the edited volume "Faking it! The Performance of Forgery in Late Medieval and Early Modern Culture" with Philip Lavender, demonstrates her engagement with broader scholarly conversations beyond her primary focus on Scandinavian women writers. As an active researcher in comparative literature, Dr. Bergström continues to develop her monograph on Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht's philosophical thought while engaging with contemporary scholarship on gender, literature, and philosophy. Her work bridges historical research with ongoing discussions about women's intellectual contributions and the recovery of marginalized voices in philosophical and literary history, making significant contributions to the field of early modern women's studies.
Flavia DE RUBEIS is a Full Professor in the Department of Humanities at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, specializing in Paleography (SSD HIST-04/D). She holds significant institutional roles including Coordinator of the Interuniversity Center of Venice for Initial Teacher Training, Department Delegate for Teacher Training, and President of the Council of the Humanities Library (BAUM). She is also affiliated with the Interuniversity Center for the History and Archaeology of the Early Middle Ages (SAAME). Professor DE RUBEIS graduated in Literature from the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' in 1987. After beginning her teaching career in 1996 as a contract professor at multiple Italian universities, she qualified as an associate professor of Paleography in 2003 and joined Ca' Foscari University in 2005, becoming a full professor in 2017. Her research focuses on medieval writing systems, particularly examining the relationship between epigraphic and manuscript traditions across different historical periods. She leads significant research projects including VeLA (Venezia Libro Aperto) and participates in the European Time Machine initiative. Her work bridges traditional paleographic methods with digital humanities approaches. Professor DE RUBEIS teaches Medieval Epigraphy and Latin Paleography across numerous degree programs including Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage, Letters, Archival and Library Sciences, Ancient Sciences, and History programs. Her institutional leadership extends to coordinating the Interuniversity Master's Degree in History and Management of Archival and Bibliographic Heritage (2008-2020) and serving as Vice Director of the Department of Humanities (2017-2020). She is actively involved in international scholarly communities, serving on editorial boards including the Corpus Inscriptionum Hispaniae Mediaevalium and TELMA (Traitement électronique des manuscrits et des archives), and has organized numerous international conferences on paleography and epigraphy.
Dr. Annamaria Pazienza is a historian and archaeologist specializing in post-Roman Mediterranean Europe (c. 400-1000 CE) at Ca' Foscari University of Venice , with appointments in the Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics (DAIS) and the Department of Humanities (DSU) . She is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow and contributes to interdisciplinary research on Lombard Italy, Venetian origins, and gender history. Education : Ph.D. in Medieval History (University of Padova, 2009); Diploma in Archival Sciences and Palaeography (State Archives of Venice, 2007); MA in Medieval Archaeology (Ca' Foscari, 2005); BA in Archaeology (Ca' Foscari, 2002). Research Interests include: Late Antique and Early Medieval Italian History with a focus on the Lombard kingdom and Venice's emergence. Mobility Studies analyzing non-aristocratic migrations in Lombard/Carolingian Italy. Medievalism and Heritage , particularly the intersection of archaeology and nationalism (monograph under contract with Brill: In Search of the Lombards ). Gender History through female monasticism in Italy (collaboration with Dr. Veronica West-Harling). Recent Publications span topics like infant burials in coastal communities (2023), wartime archaeology (2022), and Carolingian frontier politics (2024). Her work bridges archaeology, history, and social sciences. Scientific Engagement : Organized sessions at the European Archaeologists' Annual Meeting (2021) and SISMED Congress (2018). Contributor to the Database_MedItaNunC project (2025).
Antony Augoustakis is Professor of Classics and University Scholar in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He served as Interim Director of the School of Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics (2022) and Associate Director (2021-22). He is affiliated with the Program in Comparative and World Literature, Medieval Studies, and Media and Cinema Studies. Ph.D., Brown University (2001) B.A., University of Crete (1994) His research interests span Latin imperial epic, Roman drama and historiography, women in antiquity, and gender theory, with a focus on Flavian poetry. He has contributed extensively to edited volumes and commentaries on works like Silius Italicus’ Punica and Statius’ Thebaid , exploring themes such as death and ritual in Flavian epic, Roman architectural culture, and gender dynamics in ancient texts. 2024: Co-edited Lux and Classical Enrichment volumes 2023: Dynamics of Marginality , The Poetic World of Statius’ Silvae 2022: Silius Italicus and the Tradition , Screening Love and War , Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica 8 Scientific awards include the Executive Officer Campus Leadership Award (2021) , University Scholar (2019-2022) , and CAMWS Ovatio (2017) . He has directed numerous PhD and MA theses on topics like monsters in Flavian epic, exile in Silius Italicus, and gender in Suetonius. Current projects include a monograph on death and ritual in Flavian epic and a commentary on the Pseudo-Virgilian Ciris .
