Current Students

Mara Lou Schumacher

My PhD project investigates the organization and use of space in ancient Greek households using a novel combination of traditional artefact and state of the art geoarchaeology, in comparison with Classical texts. How were different rooms used, how did it change over time and what can this tell us about the people that lived here? My case study is the city of Olynthos in Northern Greece, occupied from the 5th century BC until its destruction in the mid-4th century BC. It is known for its orthogonally planned layout and outstandingly preserved houses that are seen as the archetype for ‘typical’ domestic buildings in ancient Greece. My project focuses on the identification and characterization of ancient floor levels and occupation deposits within domestic buildings. The integration of geoarchaeological methods enables me to differentiate natural from anthropogenic processes based on the microstratigraphy of the archaeological deposits and associated chemical compounds that can be linked to human activities. Investigating domestic space provides a detailed picture of activities within households but also gives a better understanding of social relations and interactions between households and neighbourhoods in Greek antiquity.

https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/olynthos-project/ (Project Website)

Supervisory Team: Dr Lisa-Marie Shillito, Archaeology (Newcastle), Dr Joseph Skinner, Classics (Newcastle), Prof. Lisa Nevett, Classics (University of Michigan)

Start Date: October 2018