PERSONAL INFORMATION
Laura Maria Michetti
Researcher unique identifier: ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5883-8928
URL for web site: https://www.lettere.uniroma1.it/users/laura-michetti, https://uniroma1.academia.edu/LMichetti
EDUCATION
2000: Specialization in Archaeology, Sapienza University of Rome (Massimo Pallottino’s excavations in the Sanctuary of Portonaccio at Veii, in MonAntLincei serie misc., 2002).
1995-1997: PhD in Etruscology, Dept. of Archaeology, Sapienza University of Rome (“Le ceramiche argentate e a rilievo in Etruria nella prima età ellenistica”, in MonAntLincei serie misc., 2003).
1992: MA in Etruscology, Sapienza University of Rome ("The Necropolis of Corchiano, Ager Faliscus", tutor Prof. G. Colonna).
CURRENT POSITION
2023-present: Full Professor of Etruscology and Italic Antiquities (SSD L-ANT/06), Sapienza University of Rome, Dept. of Sciences of Antiquities
2015-2023: Associated Professor of Etruscology and Italic Antiquities (SSD L-ANT/06), Sapienza University of Rome, Dept. of Sciences of Antiquities.
2017: National Scientific Habilitation as Full Professor of Archaeology (10/A1).
PREVIOUS POSITIONS
2004-2015: Assistant Professor of Etruscology and Italic Antiquities, Sapienza University of Rome, Dept. of Sciences of Antiquities.
1996-2003: Scientific Advisor, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Editorial Office.
AWARDS
2011: Award by the National Committee for the Celebrations of the Bimillennial of Emperor Vespasianus for the edition of the volume "Fontes Antiqui Sabinorum", in Acta Flaviana 2 (with D.F. Maras, Ch. Smith, E. Tassi).
2010: XV "Premio L'Erma di Bretschneider" for the volume "FaREP. Fontes ad res Etruscas pertinentes" (with D.F. Maras, E. Tassi).
2000: I International Award of Etruscology and Italic Antiquities, Historical-Artistic Association Ing. Carlo Cecchini, Proceno (VT).
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
2019-present: Course of Knowledge, Enhancement and Communication of the Cultural Heritage, in the 2nd level Master in “Law and new Technologies for the protection and enhancement of Cultural Heritage”, Sapienza University of Rome.
2004-present: Courses (BA and MA degree, Specialization School, PhD) of Etruscology and Italic Antiquities, and Civilization of pre-Roman Italy, Sapienza University of Rome.
2004-present: Supervision of Graduate Students and PhD students.
ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
2017: "Le vite degli altri. Ideologia funeraria in Italia centrale tra l'età del ferro e l'orientalizzante".
2015: “Le lamine d’oro a cinquant’anni dalla scoperta: dati archeologici su Pyrgi nell’epoca di Thefarie Velianas e rapporti con altre realtà del Mediterraneo” (con M.P. Baglione).
2012: "Mura di legno, mura di terra, mura di pietra: fortificazioni nel Mediterraneo antico” (con G. Bartoloni).
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
2019-present: Member of the Assessment Committee of the Faculty of Letters.
2017-present: Director of the Museum of the Etruscan and Italic Antiquities, Sapienza University of Rome.
2016-present: Scientific director of the archaeological expedition in the Etruscan Sanctuary of Pyrgi (Sapienza University of Rome, "Grandi Scavi").
2016-present: Coordinator of the curriculum "Etruscology", Doctoral School in Archaeology, Sapienza University of Rome, Dept. Sciences of Antiquities.
2015-present: Scientific director of the archaeological expedition in Veii-Piano di Comunità (Sapienza University of Rome, "Progetto Veio").
2014-2018: Member of the Sapienza Library System as representative of Human Sciences.
2013-present: Member of the Commission for students grants in the Library of the Dept. of Sciences of Antiquity.
2012-2019: Member of the Quality Commission of the MA in Philology, Literature and History of the Ancient World.
2004-present: Responsible of the Expedition Lab and Curator of the publication of the excavations in the sanctuary of Pyrgi.
MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES
2017-present: Member of the Scientific Committee of the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia.
2014-present: Correspondent member of the Institute of Etruscan and Italic Studies.
2014-present: Member of the International Association for Research on Pottery of the Hellenistic Period (IARPotHP e.V.).
MEMBERSHIPS OF EDITORIAL BOARDS
2008-present: Member of the Scientific Direction of the Journal "Archeologia Classica"
2007-present: Member of the Direction of the Journal "Scienze dell’Antichità", which she edits as responsible of the redaction.
PREVIOUS GRANTS
- PRIN
2010-2011 “La città etrusca e il sacro. Santuari e istituzione politiche” (P.I. G. Sassatelli), Coord. of the Local Research Unit (2014): 131.700 Euro.
2008 “Mura di legno, mura di terra, mura di pietra: fortificazioni in Etruria” (P.I. G. Bartoloni), Vice-coord. of the Local Research Unit: 58.230 Euro.
2006 “Produzione e circolazione di manufatti metallici e ceramici nella fase della formazione urbana a Populonia (IX-VII sec. a.C.)” (P.I. G. Bartoloni), Member of a Local Research Unit: 29.750 Euro.
2004 “Populonia: origini e sviluppo della città etrusca” (P.I. G. Bartoloni), Member of a Local Research Unit: 51.500 Euro.
- FINANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS
2020: "Caere and Pyrgi in the ancient Mediterranean Sea. An Etruscan City, its Port and its great maritime Sanctuary" (Grandi Scavi Sapienza University, P.I.): 51.000 Euro
2020: “Dalla città al mare. Vie di terra e vie di acqua nel Lazio etrusco” (Regione Lazio, Contributi per il mantenimento nel mondo accademico delle eccellenze, P.I.): 72.576 Euro
2020: “Archeologia del Lazio: percorso formativo per la conoscenza e valorizzazione del patrimonio archeologico della Regione. Pyrgi, porto e grande santuario della città etrusca di Caere (Cerveteri, RM)” (Regione Lazio, Distretto tecnologico per le nuove tecnologie applicate ai beni e alle attività culturali, P.I.): 10.500 Euro
2020: “Archeologia del Lazio: percorso formativo per la conoscenza e valorizzazione del patrimonio archeologico della Regione. La città etrusca di Veio” (Regione Lazio, Distretto tecnologico per le nuove tecnologie applicate ai beni e alle attività culturali, P.I.): 10.500 Euro
2020: "Produrre per gli dei. L’economia per il sacro nell’Italia preromana (VII-II sec. a.C.)" (Sapienza University, P.I.): 1.600 Euro
2019: "Pyrgi, Port of Caere in the ancient Mediterranean Sea. An Etruscan city, its Port and its great maritime Sanctuary" (Grandi Scavi Sapienza University, P.I.): 60.000 Euro
2018: "Pyrgi, port of Caere. An Etruscan city, its port and its great maritime sanctuary" (Grandi Scavi Sapienza University, P.I.): 46.000 Euro
2017: "The sanctuary and harbour of Pyrgi" (Grandi Scavi Sapienza University, P.I.): 45.000 Euro
2016: "The sanctuary and harbour of Pyrgi" (Grandi Scavi Sapienza University, P.I.): 46.000 Euro
2009: “Documenti storici per la civiltà etrusca. Analisi comparata delle fonti letterarie greche e latine” (Sapienza University, P.I.): 2.000 Euro
2008: “Documenti storici per la civiltà etrusca. Analisi comparata delle fonti letterarie greche e latine” (Sapienza University, P.I.): 2.000 Euro
2004-2014 “Pyrgi, un santuario al centro del Mediterraneo” (Sapienza University, member)
2014: “Arcaic@. Roman Law, Archaeology & ICT - The case of Forum”; Research 2014 “La forma del monumento: tecnologia laser e ricerca umanistica” (Sapienza University, member)
2013: “Rilevare e comunicare: metodi innovativi non a contatto per la conoscenza e la documentazione del patrimonio architettonico e archeologico” (Sapienza University, member)
2012: “Leopoli-Cencelle: sistemi di difesa urbani fra XII e XIV secolo” (Sapienza University, member)
2011: “La tecnologia del pyrosequencing: dalla ricerca di base alla diagnostica, dal DNA antico alla medicina molecolare” (Sapienza University, member)
2009, 2007: “Ceramica, metallo, vetro, industria litica: conoscere, restaurare, conservare” (Sapienza University, member)
2006: “La Collezione Barberini. I materiali prenestini al Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia” (Sapienza University, member)
2005, 2004 “Profilo archeologico di una città antica: Populonia” (Sapienza University, member)
RESEARCH PROFILE
I've written more than 100 publications including monographs, papers on refereed journals, contributions to volumes and proceedings of conferences and other scientific products. More than 30 papers in class A-ranked journals; 3 monographs in MonAntLinc, one of which ("Le ceramiche argentate e a rilievo in Etruria nella prima età ellenistica") is a reference book for scholars of Hellenistic pottery.
Major fields of research:
- PYRGI PROJECT ("Grandi Scavi di Ateneo"). I'm the Director of the archaeological expedition in the site of Pyrgi, one of the most important Etruscan sanctuaries. Every year 50/60 BA, MA, and PhD students partecipate in the excavations. Recently, field research has focussed the district between the Sanctuary and the settlement, where we discovered a new quarter, including different buildings (550–4th century BC) erected along a pebbled road that departs from the Caere-Pyrgi road and leads towards the oriental port-basin. The buildings, together with votive deposits and a fire-altar, outline a ceremonial quarter that played different public functions related to the harbour. In the volume "Caere. An Etruscan City" University of Texas Press, 2017, I've studied the harbours of Caere and the role of the city in the Mediterranean realm; the same topic has been extended to the whole Etruscan world in the "Handbook of Etruscology", De Gruyter 2017.
- TERRITORY OF CAERE PROJECT: In relationship with the excavation in Pyrgi, I'm also engaged in the study of the region of Caere, especially as regards the archaeological sites along the Caere-Pyrgi road (Montetosto Sanctuary, burial place in Quarto di Monte Bischero). Thanks to the funding of the Regione Lazio, the Pyrgi archaeological expedition is starting a study on the coastal territory of Caere.
- VEII PROJECT: In the urban plateau, at Piano di Comunità a ceramic district was brought to light, with furnaces for Etruscan-Corinthian pottery and bucchero. This district, preceded by a village of huts, develops along a road layout and includes vertical draft kilns, decanting pits and a large rectangular cistern. Researches at Veii concern also the reconstruction and publication of the decorative system of the Temple of Apollo in the Sanctuary of Portonaccio. As regards the necropolis, I've re-examined and studied the funerary assemblage of the Tumulo Chigi, Monte Aguzzo (MonAntLincei serie misc. XVI, 2014).
- AGER FALISCUS PROJECT: The project attempts to draw a comprehensive picture of the craft activities that are known presently in connection with Falerii. The goal is to update the topographical reconstruction of the currently known craft activities, and on the other hand to (re)consider some old and new excavations that have been carried out on the Civita Castellana plateau.
- CATALOGUE OF LITERARY GREK AND LATIN SOURCES FOR THE HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION OF THE ETRUSCANS AND SABINES.
Other research activities:
Relationships between the city and its land (harbours, suburban and extra-urban sacred areas, necropolis) in the counties of Cerveteri and Veii and in the Ager Faliscus; art craftsmanship in Etruria (Classical-Hellenistic ages); craftsmanship productions (Orientalizing-Archaic Ages); funerary ritual in the Faliscan area and in Southern Etruria (Classic-Hellenistic Ages); funerary custom in the territory of Veio, with special focus on tumuli; History of Etruscology.
EXHIBITIONS: as member of scientific and organizing committee
2019-2020: “Etruschi. Viaggio nelle terre dei Rasna”, Bologna, Museo Civico Archeologico
2019: "Etruschi, maestri delle arti", Museo Archeologico di Cerveteri - Museo Archeologico di Tarquinia
2019: “Hinthial. L’ombra di San Gimignano. L’Offerente e i reperti rituali etruschi e romani”, San Gimignano (SI), Museo Archeologico
2019: "Veio, Piano di Comunità. Lavori in corso nel quartiere artigianale", Museo delle Antichità Etrusche e Italiche
2019: "Tarquinia, tra tombe dipinte e collezioni museali", Museo delle Antichità Etrusche e Italiche 2018: "Minerva alla Sapienza", Museo delle Antichità Etrusche e Italiche.
COLLABORATION WITH ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE SAFEGUARD AGENCIES - EXHIBITION AND MUSEUMS
Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, as a member of the Scientific Committee: organization of expositions, events, scientific projects.
Soprintendenza ai Beni Archeologici dell’Etruria meridionale: study of tombs in the New Precinct of the Banditaccia Necropolis in Caere, 1962 M. Moretti’s excavations; survey of Agro Falisco; funerary assemblages of Faliscan tombs overall recording; excavation of the Sanctuary of Narce Monte Li Santi-Le Rote.
In Lazio, she collaborated in the preparation of exhibitions in Rome in the Museum of Villa Giulia ("La Collezione Augusto Castellani"); Corchiano (VT) ("Corchiano e il suo territorio"); Civita Castellana, Museo Archeologico dell’Agro Falisco (2000 anni di produzioni ceramiche a Falerii").