Phd in PHD SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Research: Spaces of the Dead and City of the Living in Crete: Burial and Urbanism between the 5th and 8th Centuries A.D.

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Post-Classical Archaeology, specializing in studying urban transformations in the Late Antique settlements on the island of Crete. My research focuses on the topographical relationships between funerary spaces, monumental areas, and the inhabited urban context (the "city of the living"). My work aims to create a dynamic picture of the "city of the dead" from the 5th to the 8th century by systematically mapping funerary evidence and analyzing their spatial relationships with contemporary or earlier urban elements. This approach aims to clarify the processes involved in the emergence of new funerary contexts and to understand their evolving role in shaping Late Antique urban landscapes in Crete.

EDUCATION

2021: Master's Degree in Byzantine Archaeology, University of Siena, with a thesis entitled "The Dead in the City of the Living: the Case of Gortyn in Early Byzantine Crete" (Supervisors: Prof. Enrico Zanini and Prof. Elisabetta Giorgi). Graduated with honors (110/110 cum laude).

2018: Bachelor's Degree in Late Antique Archaeology, University of Siena, with a thesis entitled "Mapping the New Late Antiquity in Tuscany" (Supervisor: Prof. Enrico Zanini). Graduated with honors (110/110 cum laude).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2023–present: Member of the urban archaeology project "MELISSA" in Ravenna, directed by Prof. Max Victor David (Sapienza University of Rome).

2022–2024: Supervisor of the workshop "Pottery Drawing Techniques and Documentation in Archaeology" at the Department of Historical Sciences and Cultural Heritage, University of Siena.

2017–present: Archaeologist in the research project "Byzantine Neighborhood of the Pythion of Gortyn (GQB)" in Agioi Deka (Crete, Greece), directed by Prof. Enrico Zanini (University of Siena) in collaboration with the Italian Archaeological School at Athens.

2016–present: Archaeologist in the research project "Uomini e Cose a Vignale" (Piombino, Tuscany), directed by Prof. Enrico Zanini and Prof. Elisabetta Giorgi (University of Siena).

SKILLS

Throughout my academic career, I have gained substantial practical experience in the use of digital technologies such as GIS for spatial mapping, database management, and advanced digital documentation tools for material culture.

I specialize in using LAP (Laser Aided Profiler) for ceramic artifact documentation, accumulating several years of experience in the digitization of archaeological finds.

Additionally, I have developed specialized skills in the management and promotion of cultural heritage.