Emily Hanscam

Originally from Alaska, I have a PhD in Archaeology from Durham University (2019), a MA in Social Archaeology with Distinction from the University of Southampton (2014), and a BA in Anthropology and History from Whitman College (2012). Most recently I have worked for the University of Amsterdam as a Lecturer in Archaeology (2020-2021) and provided editorial and media support for Antiquity Journal (2018-2020). My research at LNU is supported by the Crafoord Foundation, the LNU Centre for Concurrences, the UNESCO Chair for Heritage Futures, and the Linnaeus Knowledge Environment: Digital Transformations.

My research background is in Roman frontier archaeology, having spent a decade excavating and managing a volunteer-based fieldwork project at Halmyris, on the Lower Danube frontier in Romania. I am interested in the politics of the past, nationalism, critical heritage and the potentials of archaeology to build a more inclusive and just future. 

My current project, New Romans, utilizes the digital humanities to research the sociopolitical contexts of references to Classical Antiquity in the United States, exploring the possible significance of a critically understood Classical tradition for negotiating the future of American society. I am also working on Digital Excavations, funded by the LNU KE Digital Transformations, which in collaboration with Computer Science applies techniques from the Digital Humanities to the corpus of Antiquity, a journal of world archaeology, to develop a more quantitative understanding of the development of archaeological discourse.

Teaching

I teach on the Network, Society and Internet Cultures MA course, and on the Digital Humanities MA programme. For 2023 I am coordinating the PhD course in Archaeology, Archaeologists as Public Intellectuals. I have also taught on Communicating Cultural Heritage (BA), and Theoretical Traditions in Current Archaeology (MA).