Experimental Archaeology

She holds a MPhil in Museology and Egyptian archaeology and a PhD in Egyptian archaeology from Cambridge University. She has participated in several archaeological missions and has directed the Animal Mummy Project, the North Kharga Darb Ain Amur Survey, as well as the Amenmesse Mission of KV10 and KV63 in the Valley of the Kings. Her research interests are vast, spanning from archaeozoology and funerary archaeology to rock art, ethnoarchaeology and museology.

PhD projects regarding or integrating Experimental Archaeology can be proposed for the application to the Doctoral Course of Archaeology of Sapienza University.

Experimental Archaeology is offered every 4th semester (odd-numbered years) and has historically focused on questions arising from archaeological research in the southern Appalachians and often focuses on aspects of Cherokee prehistory. Projects have focused on a wide range of technologies, including bone, chipped stone, ground stone, rivercane, ceramics and local clay processing, and cooking.

Concerning the methodology, research questions are formulated starting from the analysis of  finds from different chronological contexts, from prehistory to Middle Ages. Recently most of the attention has been devoted to the archaeological site of Solarolo in the wider context of the Bronze Age Northern Italy, where  excavations have yielded a remarkable quantity of ceramic, metal, bone artifacts, as well as archaeobotanical and archaeozoological finds, which raised important questions about Bronze Age manufactures, land use, agricultural practices and animal farming.  

From autumn 2020, specific experimental teaching modules such as exercises with material techniques and chaînes opératoires (metal, flint, textiles, wood etc.) will be part of the study programs. Moreover, BA and MA students have the possibility to choose experimental-archaeological topics for their qualification thesis, and PhD students are invited to participate in interdisciplinary research projects, or launch their own initiatives.

The Experimental and Archaeological Sciences Laboratory (EASL) is a collaborative research space dedicated to the study of ancient materials and technology through replication experiments and scientific analysis. The lab assists students, faculty and Cotsen affiliates with their archaeological research projects, as well as offers resources for laboratory-based courses. 

ARCS2010 will build understanding of the principles, evolution and sophistication of ancient technologies. Experimental archaeology is an important arm of archaeological research used to develop and test hypotheses about the practicalities, operational conditions and limitations of prehistoric technologies. The course will cover the anthropological theory of technology, the principles and objectives of experimental archaeological science, the origins and evolution of complex technology, and how technology can inform us about past human societies and cultural change.