Cultural Interactions and Migration in the Ancient World

In our teaching and research we focus on the history and archaeology of migration and mobility in the ancient world and on the cultural interactions that result from these (diasporas, borders, religious identity formation, imperialism). We study these by combining the latest historiographical thinking with cutting-edge techniques from the sciences, including archaeogenetics, isotope analysis, and radiocarbon dating. We also work on issues relating to heritage management, run projects in the field of citizen science, and are developing a steady presence in the field of the digital humanities.

Our team consists of experts that specialise in archaic and classical Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Late Antique, and Jewish history respectively. We conduct fieldwork in Greece and Italy, the Near East, and in the Netherlands. For more detailed information on what we do, please go to our Research Page.

To keep abreast of the latest developments, we run a New Discoveries Seminar that aims at involving students from across the Humanities, particularly those involved in our successful Research Master Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies.    

Collaboration

The research conducted by the Ancient Culture research group is embedded in two of Utrecht University strategic themes Institution for Open Societies and Migration and Societal Change.

On a national level the group works together with OIKOS, the National Research School in Classical Studies, for example in the Anchoring Innovation research agenda, and with ARCHON.