Past Distinguished Majors
2021 – 2022
Jordan C. Gaborik: “Public Personas: Identity & Public Architecture in the Roman Near East”
Advisor: Dylan K. Rogers/Second Reader: Tyler Jo Smith
This thesis explores the relationship between public architecture and identity within the Roman Near East during the Imperial period. Beginning with a discussion on Roman identity and the East, four cities from the region (Dura-Europos, Jerash, Jerusalem, and Petra) are then explored as case studies to understand the relationship between the built environment and expressions of identity. Available archaeological data related to each site’s history, city layout, public religious architecture, and water features were then collected. Through a comparative discussion of the evidence, several conclusions regarding the coexistence and continuity of multiple identities within the Roman Near East are considered.
2020 – 2021
Emily Anderson: “The Numismatics of Hiberno-Norse Acculturation, 10th-12th centuries: A Study in Early Medieval Cultural Contact and Material Exchange”
Advisor: Adria LaViolette/Second Reader: Paul Kershaw
Using data sets found in modern Ireland, this thesis examines the production and iconography of coins buried between the 9th and 11th centuries CE. By unpacking a shift inf the forms of the iconographies of coins in this area, Norse, Irish, and Hiberno-Norse attitudes towards coinage are understood better, especially considering cultural shifts in how these groups of people viewed coins in terms of value (versus solely in the actual bullion metal these coins were produced from).
Brian E. Pfeifer: “Geophysics in Archaeology: The Kotroni Archaeological Survey Project (KASP)”
Advisor: Anastasia Dakouri-Hild/Second Reader: Shane McGary
This thesis explores the potential to use the methods and field practices of archaeogeophysics at the site of Aphidna, Greece. After a discussion of the physical principles of geophysical surveying techniques, data from KASP was synthesized to determine areas of high archaeogeophysical interest for the project. Using survey data from the project, landscape characteristics were assessed to determine where specific geophysical techniques are expected to perform well.
Savannah Stevens: “Holy Transactions: Altars on Athenian Vases from the Acropolis and the Agora”
Advisor: Tyler Jo Smith/Second Reader: Dylan K. Rogers
This thesis collects and analyzes the iconography of ritual practices around altars on figure-decorated pottery found in the Athenian Agora and the Acropolis of Athens. One aim of this project was to understand better the function of altars in the daily life ancient Athenians, which paired iconographic evidence found on ceramic vessels with literary and archaeological comparanda. Important questions are raised in the study of why altars are depicted infrequently on vases, despite the ubiquity of altars archaeologically attested in Athens and the role of sacrifice in the lives of the ancient Athenians.
2019 - 2020
Brittany Morris: “Architecture, Art, and Power in Mystras.”
Advisor: Fotini Kondyli/Second Reader: Lucie Stylianopoulos
This thesis is concerned with how elite power was articulated and negotiated in and through the monuments of Mystras (Greece). It explores how the architectural ensemble emerged from the various entanglements of power in Mystras as members of its political and ecclesiastical establishments intrigued and jockeyed for influence and domination. The research methodology combines art historical, architectural, and historical evidence to examine the construction of “a geography of power”.
Abigail Staub: “Cult and Industry: An Analysis of Religious Shrines in the Commercial Spaces of Pompeii.”
Advisor: Dylan K. Rogers/Second Reader: Tyler Jo Smith
This thesis considers the relationship between iconography and space through an examination of religious shrines in commercial spaces at Pompeii. Based both on fieldwork and published research, the study takes into account the locations of shrines within these spaces as well as their dimensions, questioning what can be learned from the figures chosen for the display. Both a complete database and a GIS map of the relevant data were compiled as the foundation for creative analysis.
2018 - 2019
Charlotte Elizabeth Cooney: “Livia’s Garden Room: Identification of Flora e Fauna and Interpretation of the Room’s Function.”
Advisor: John Dobbins/Second Reader: Ismini Miliaresis
This thesis combines archaeological, artistic, and textual evidence to explore the Garden Room at Villa Livia in Prima porta near Rome. Famous since the 19th century due to its exceptional archaeological finds, the decorated walls are rife with symbolism and mythology. By focusing on the flora and fauna depicted, one is able to consider the function and meaning of the space to ancient viewers.
Jared A. Gingrich: “Celts, Coins, and Curses: Healing Sanctuaries in Roman Britain.”
Advisor: Ismini Milaresis/Second Reader: Fotini Kondyli
This thesis considers healing sanctuaries in Roman Britain and how the evidence from these sites informs on the relationship between the colonizing Romans and indigenous Celts. By examining the artifacts that were deposited in sacred springs, such as coins and curse tablets, it is possible to draw conclusions related to the "Roman-ness" of the Romano-Celtic people and their beliefs.
Vasiliki Vivian Kanellopoulos: “Figural Dedications at Perachora and Tegea: A Contextual Study.”
Advisor: Tyler Jo Smith/Second reader: Lucie Stylianopoulos
This thesis collects and analyzes the published data for votive dedications at two important sanctuaries of female deities in southern Greece. The aim was to uncover shared patterns in the date, material, and iconography of offerings, as well as the most common attributes of human and animal figurines, and the prominence of similar dedications at related sites.
Courtney Roark: “Hidden in Plain Sight: Spatial patterns in Late Woodland Shell Midden Archaeological Sites across Virginia’s Eastern Shore."
Advisor: Steve Plog/Second Reader: Pati Wattenmaker
This project explores and contextualizes the many shell-bearing archaeological sites created by Native communities during the Late Woodland (c. 1000-1600 CE) period on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The specific goals were to explore the pattern of known sites, to identify the geological, hydrological, and ecological context of those sites, to consider the relationship between the sites and environmental conditions, and to characterize shell midden distribution as cultural places in the socio-natural landscape.
Barbara Estelle Teske: “Caring for the Living Dead: Late Antique Burials on the Ismenion Hill.”
Advisor: Fotini Kondyli/Second reader: Lucie Stylianopoulos
This thesis focuses on themes regarding death and burial in Late Antiquity, with the goal of adding existing scholarship regarding mortuary practices for Christians in this period. It also examines the treatment and perceptions of critically ill persons through examination of the archaeological record. In particular the study focuses on the study of Byzantine graves excavated at Thebes, Greece, including their grave goods and preliminary osteological analysis.
2017-2018
Katherine Mitcham: "Ancient Sustainability: the Late Roman Trade in Recycled Material."
Advisor: Fotini Kondyli
Examines shipwreck evidence and the movement of recycled materials via maritime trade.
Christina Monroe: "A perpetual Tie between the Etruscan Living and Dead: the Significance of the Strategic Placement of Etruscan Necropoleis."
Advisor: John Dobbins
Explores the spatial interrelationship of settlements and cemeteries in the Etruscan landscape.
Melanie Wood: "Misconceptions of the Mother Goddess: a Case Study of Figurines in Tomb Contexts on Cyprus."
Advisor: Anastasia Dakouri-Hild
Explores the variety of social practices engaging representations of female figurines of 'mother goddess' type in Bronze Age Cyprus.
2014-2015
Caroline Gardiner: "Slaves and Status: an Examination of Social Differentiaion at the Utopia II Quarter."
Advisor: Fraser Neiman/Second Reader: Steve Plog
The primary objective of this study is to use the premise of household archaeology and costly signaling to analyze the differences of resource access, use, and social identity at the Utopia II slave quartering site. Located on the James River near Williamsburg, Virginia, the Utopia site was a 17-18th century slave-quartering site for large tobacco plantations. The excavations on which this study is based took place in 1973 and in the mid- 1990s.
Natalie Ryan: "Oceanic Art at the Fralin Museum: Exploring the University of Virginia’s Collection of Middle Sepik Art."
Advisor: Jordan Love/Second Reader: Ira Bashkow
The Fralin Museum at the University of Virginia houses a wide collection of Oceanic art. Eight objects of the Middle Sepik region (northern Papua New Guinea) are particularly impressive in their craftsmanship, use, and the stories that they have to tell. Some are utilitarian objects, some are implements of war, some are worn, and all contain spiritual elements. All of these pieces fit together in the web created between the material and spiritual world.
Stephen Shade: "Morgantina’s Time Capsule: an Analysis of the Artifacts Found in the 1992 Excavation of Trench 127."
Advisor: Malcolm Bell/Second Reader: John Dobbins
The focus of this project is a cistern within the agora of Morgantina (Sicily) located in the North Sanctuary. The research is dedicated to organizing, analyzing, and finding photographic evidence related to the materials found in trench 192 during the 1992 excavation season. As a result, approximate dates for the use and fill of the cistern have been determined and its significance to the early 3rd century BC has been established.
2011-2012
Hayden Basset: “Space, Place and Formation at Flowerdew Hundred.”
Advisor: Jeff Hantman/Second Reader: Frasier Neiman
This thesis is a contextual and spatial study of the Flowerdew Hundred site during the early 17th century. It was inspired by his ongoing work on the collection of artifacts housed at Movern Farm and belonging to UVa, and through participation in a Virginia Department of Historic Resource Threatened Sites project.
Carrie Mongle
Advisor: Paty Wattenmaker/Second Reader: Rachel Most.
This thesis examined patterns of sexual dimorphism in Neanderthal populations.
George Zaras: “Greek Religion at Morgantina: the Altars of Bloodless Sacrifice.”
Advisor: Malcolm Bell/Second Reader: John Dobbins
Based on two seasons of fieldwork at the site of Morgantina in central Sicily, this thesis explored the street altars and domestic altars from the site. The aim was to synthesize the collected data and to shed on light on private religious experience it this region of the ancient Greek world
2021 – 2022
Jordan C. Gaborik: “Public Personas: Identity & Public Architecture in the Roman Near East”
Advisor: Dylan K. Rogers/Second Reader: Tyler Jo Smith
This thesis explores the relationship between public architecture and identity within the Roman Near East during the Imperial period. Beginning with a discussion on Roman identity and the East, four cities from the region (Dura-Europos, Jerash, Jerusalem, and Petra) are then explored as case studies to understand the relationship between the built environment and expressions of identity. Available archaeological data related to each site’s history, city layout, public religious architecture, and water features were then collected. Through a comparative discussion of the evidence, several conclusions regarding the coexistence and continuity of multiple identities within the Roman Near East are considered.
2020 – 2021
Emily Anderson: “The Numismatics of Hiberno-Norse Acculturation, 10th-12th centuries: A Study in Early Medieval Cultural Contact and Material Exchange”
Advisor: Adria LaViolette/Second Reader: Paul Kershaw
Using data sets found in modern Ireland, this thesis examines the production and iconography of coins buried between the 9th and 11th centuries CE. By unpacking a shift inf the forms of the iconographies of coins in this area, Norse, Irish, and Hiberno-Norse attitudes towards coinage are understood better, especially considering cultural shifts in how these groups of people viewed coins in terms of value (versus solely in the actual bullion metal these coins were produced from).
Brian E. Pfeifer: “Geophysics in Archaeology: The Kotroni Archaeological Survey Project (KASP)”
Advisor: Anastasia Dakouri-Hild/Second Reader: Shane McGary
This thesis explores the potential to use the methods and field practices of archaeogeophysics at the site of Aphidna, Greece. After a discussion of the physical principles of geophysical surveying techniques, data from KASP was synthesized to determine areas of high archaeogeophysical interest for the project. Using survey data from the project, landscape characteristics were assessed to determine where specific geophysical techniques are expected to perform well.
Savannah Stevens: “Holy Transactions: Altars on Athenian Vases from the Acropolis and the Agora”
Advisor: Tyler Jo Smith/Second Reader: Dylan K. Rogers
This thesis collects and analyzes the iconography of ritual practices around altars on figure-decorated pottery found in the Athenian Agora and the Acropolis of Athens. One aim of this project was to understand better the function of altars in the daily life ancient Athenians, which paired iconographic evidence found on ceramic vessels with literary and archaeological comparanda. Important questions are raised in the study of why altars are depicted infrequently on vases, despite the ubiquity of altars archaeologically attested in Athens and the role of sacrifice in the lives of the ancient Athenians.
2019 - 2020
Brittany Morris: “Architecture, Art, and Power in Mystras.”
Advisor: Fotini Kondyli/Second Reader: Lucie Stylianopoulos
This thesis is concerned with how elite power was articulated and negotiated in and through the monuments of Mystras (Greece). It explores how the architectural ensemble emerged from the various entanglements of power in Mystras as members of its political and ecclesiastical establishments intrigued and jockeyed for influence and domination. The research methodology combines art historical, architectural, and historical evidence to examine the construction of “a geography of power”.
Abigail Staub: “Cult and Industry: An Analysis of Religious Shrines in the Commercial Spaces of Pompeii.”
Advisor: Dylan K. Rogers/Second Reader: Tyler Jo Smith
This thesis considers the relationship between iconography and space through an examination of religious shrines in commercial spaces at Pompeii. Based both on fieldwork and published research, the study takes into account the locations of shrines within these spaces as well as their dimensions, questioning what can be learned from the figures chosen for the display. Both a complete database and a GIS map of the relevant data were compiled as the foundation for creative analysis.
2018 - 2019
Charlotte Elizabeth Cooney: “Livia’s Garden Room: Identification of Flora e Fauna and Interpretation of the Room’s Function.”
Advisor: John Dobbins/Second Reader: Ismini Miliaresis
This thesis combines archaeological, artistic, and textual evidence to explore the Garden Room at Villa Livia in Prima porta near Rome. Famous since the 19th century due to its exceptional archaeological finds, the decorated walls are rife with symbolism and mythology. By focusing on the flora and fauna depicted, one is able to consider the function and meaning of the space to ancient viewers.
Jared A. Gingrich: “Celts, Coins, and Curses: Healing Sanctuaries in Roman Britain.”
Advisor: Ismini Milaresis/Second Reader: Fotini Kondyli
This thesis considers healing sanctuaries in Roman Britain and how the evidence from these sites informs on the relationship between the colonizing Romans and indigenous Celts. By examining the artifacts that were deposited in sacred springs, such as coins and curse tablets, it is possible to draw conclusions related to the "Roman-ness" of the Romano-Celtic people and their beliefs.
Vasiliki Vivian Kanellopoulos: “Figural Dedications at Perachora and Tegea: A Contextual Study.”
Advisor: Tyler Jo Smith/Second reader: Lucie Stylianopoulos
This thesis collects and analyzes the published data for votive dedications at two important sanctuaries of female deities in southern Greece. The aim was to uncover shared patterns in the date, material, and iconography of offerings, as well as the most common attributes of human and animal figurines, and the prominence of similar dedications at related sites.
Courtney Roark: “Hidden in Plain Sight: Spatial patterns in Late Woodland Shell Midden Archaeological Sites across Virginia’s Eastern Shore."
Advisor: Steve Plog/Second Reader: Pati Wattenmaker
This project explores and contextualizes the many shell-bearing archaeological sites created by Native communities during the Late Woodland (c. 1000-1600 CE) period on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The specific goals were to explore the pattern of known sites, to identify the geological, hydrological, and ecological context of those sites, to consider the relationship between the sites and environmental conditions, and to characterize shell midden distribution as cultural places in the socio-natural landscape.
Barbara Estelle Teske: “Caring for the Living Dead: Late Antique Burials on the Ismenion Hill.”
Advisor: Fotini Kondyli/Second reader: Lucie Stylianopoulos
This thesis focuses on themes regarding death and burial in Late Antiquity, with the goal of adding existing scholarship regarding mortuary practices for Christians in this period. It also examines the treatment and perceptions of critically ill persons through examination of the archaeological record. In particular the study focuses on the study of Byzantine graves excavated at Thebes, Greece, including their grave goods and preliminary osteological analysis.
2017-2018
Katherine Mitcham: "Ancient Sustainability: the Late Roman Trade in Recycled Material."
Advisor: Fotini Kondyli
Examines shipwreck evidence and the movement of recycled materials via maritime trade.
Christina Monroe: "A perpetual Tie between the Etruscan Living and Dead: the Significance of the Strategic Placement of Etruscan Necropoleis."
Advisor: John Dobbins
Explores the spatial interrelationship of settlements and cemeteries in the Etruscan landscape.
Melanie Wood: "Misconceptions of the Mother Goddess: a Case Study of Figurines in Tomb Contexts on Cyprus."
Advisor: Anastasia Dakouri-Hild
Explores the variety of social practices engaging representations of female figurines of 'mother goddess' type in Bronze Age Cyprus.
2014-2015
Caroline Gardiner: "Slaves and Status: an Examination of Social Differentiaion at the Utopia II Quarter."
Advisor: Fraser Neiman/Second Reader: Steve Plog
The primary objective of this study is to use the premise of household archaeology and costly signaling to analyze the differences of resource access, use, and social identity at the Utopia II slave quartering site. Located on the James River near Williamsburg, Virginia, the Utopia site was a 17-18th century slave-quartering site for large tobacco plantations. The excavations on which this study is based took place in 1973 and in the mid- 1990s.
Natalie Ryan: "Oceanic Art at the Fralin Museum: Exploring the University of Virginia’s Collection of Middle Sepik Art."
Advisor: Jordan Love/Second Reader: Ira Bashkow
The Fralin Museum at the University of Virginia houses a wide collection of Oceanic art. Eight objects of the Middle Sepik region (northern Papua New Guinea) are particularly impressive in their craftsmanship, use, and the stories that they have to tell. Some are utilitarian objects, some are implements of war, some are worn, and all contain spiritual elements. All of these pieces fit together in the web created between the material and spiritual world.
Stephen Shade: "Morgantina’s Time Capsule: an Analysis of the Artifacts Found in the 1992 Excavation of Trench 127."
Advisor: Malcolm Bell/Second Reader: John Dobbins
The focus of this project is a cistern within the agora of Morgantina (Sicily) located in the North Sanctuary. The research is dedicated to organizing, analyzing, and finding photographic evidence related to the materials found in trench 192 during the 1992 excavation season. As a result, approximate dates for the use and fill of the cistern have been determined and its significance to the early 3rd century BC has been established.
2011-2012
Hayden Basset: “Space, Place and Formation at Flowerdew Hundred.”
Advisor: Jeff Hantman/Second Reader: Frasier Neiman
This thesis is a contextual and spatial study of the Flowerdew Hundred site during the early 17th century. It was inspired by his ongoing work on the collection of artifacts housed at Movern Farm and belonging to UVa, and through participation in a Virginia Department of Historic Resource Threatened Sites project.
Carrie Mongle
Advisor: Paty Wattenmaker/Second Reader: Rachel Most.
This thesis examined patterns of sexual dimorphism in Neanderthal populations.
George Zaras: “Greek Religion at Morgantina: the Altars of Bloodless Sacrifice.”
Advisor: Malcolm Bell/Second Reader: John Dobbins
Based on two seasons of fieldwork at the site of Morgantina in central Sicily, this thesis explored the street altars and domestic altars from the site. The aim was to synthesize the collected data and to shed on light on private religious experience it this region of the ancient Greek world