Maribelisa Gillespie (she/her)
Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology 2024
Research Areas
Aegean prehistory; trade and communication in the ancient Mediterranean basin; technology and innovation in prehistory; prehistoric writing systems; Greek archaeology and religion; digital humanities; public outreach.
Biography
In addition to her Ph.D from UC Berkeley, Maribelisa (Belisi) has a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. in Ancient Greek & Roman Studies from Brandeis University. She is an active field archaeologist with experience in northern Israel, Crete, Attica, the Cyclades, and the Peloponnese. She currently participates in the Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology's projects at the panhellenic sanctuary of Zeus in Nemea, the prehistoric cemetery at Aidonia, and Petsas House, a ceramic production workshop at Mycenae. Her dissertation project focused on the large collection of handmade terracotta figurines from Petsas House. In examining this collection, she highlighted aspects of production and distribution (in conjunction with the other ceramics produced on site) while also considering some of the wider implications these data might have for understanding the individual and collective choices made by Mycenaeans during specific activities such as visiting a sanctuary or interring the deceased.