Meet the Team
The 2024 team
Project leaders:
Joanita Vroom (LU)
Scientific head of project
Joanita Vroom is Professor in Archaeology of Medieval and Early Modern Eurasia at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University, specializing in the material culture of the 7th to 19th centuries CE. She was Head of the Department of World Archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology between 2020 and 2023.
Dr Alexandra Kostarelli (EAE)
Administrative head of project
Alexandra Kostarelli is a Byzantine archaeologist at the Ephorate of Antiquities of Euboea (EAE), Chalkida. She is also a member of the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Ioannina. Her research focuses on the archaeology of Medieval Greece and Byzantine historiography.
Extensive survey team:
Dr Andrew Blackler (HSNESS)
Extensive survey
Andrew Blackler completed his PhD at the Centre for Byzantine Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies in the University of Birmingham. He is one of the main collaborating investigators at the Hellenic Society for Near Eastern Studies and the HMC-project. His interests lie in cartography, the history of geography and Medieval and Greek Archaeology.
Dionysis Kalantzis-Papadopoulous (LU)
Extensive survey
Dionysis is a PhD candidate in Byzantine & Crusader Archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University. His research interests lie in the fields of landscape archaeology, settlement archaeology and frontier theory in the Medieval Aegean.
Intensive survey team:
Dr Nicholas Groat (TUOS)
Intensive survey
Nicholas Groat is a Research Associate in archaeology and heritage at the University of Sheffield (Uk). His research focuses on the study of technological systems in West Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Trial trench team:
Dr Konstantinos Politis (HSNES)
Archaeological guidance
Konstantinos Politis is an archaeologist previously affiliated with the British Museum, and the Greek, Jordanian and Syrian governments, for whom he conducted several excavations and research projects. His research focuses on the early Byzantine and early Islamic periods. He is a founding partner and chairman of the Hellenic Society for Near Eastern Studies.
Dion Stawrianidis (LU)
Trench leader
Dion studies archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University and returned to the HMC project as a student-staff member. His research interests lie in material studies, conservation, marine archaeology and cultural heritage.
Milena Blokzijl (LU)
Head of finds processing, field data manager & social media manager
Milena is an Archaeology Master student at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University, and one of two senior student-staff members. Her research focuses on early Byzantine and early Islamic archaeology, with an emphasis on intercultural contact and identity in the Medieval Mediterranean.
Mees Schenkius (LU)
Intensive survey
Mees is an Archaeology Master student at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University, and one of two senior student-staff members. His research focuses on funerary archaeology in the Roman Netherlands and landscape archaeology in the Aegean.
Bram van der Lichte (LU)
Trench leader
Bram studies archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University and returned to the project as a student-staff member. His research interests lie in ceramics, Medieval economics and trade, and Mediterranean archaeology.
Nektaria Alyfanti (LU)
Assistent depot manager
Nektaria is a Master student at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University. She has joined the project as a student-staff member. After completing a bachelor's in history and archaeology at the University of Crete (GR), her research interests have focused on Byzantine material culture and ecclesiastical architecture.
Depot team:
Sofia Kane
Depot manager, depot data manager & ceramic illustrator
Sofia is a researcher at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University. She previously studied at Yale University (USA) and has recently defended her Master thesis at the University of Crete (GR). Her research focuses on the archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean, specialising in ceramic analysis and illustration.
Student coordinator:
Jonathan Ouellet (LU)
Student coordinator & coin specialist
Jonathan Ouellet is a research assistant at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University. He currently conducts research in the Middle East, Central Asia, and China, looking at topics such as numismatics, trade networks, and concepts of frontiers and peripheries.
2024
2023
2022
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Prof. Dr. Joanita Vroom
Dr. Alexandra Kostarelli
Dr. Andrew Blackler
Dr. Konstantinos Politis
Dr. Nicolas Groat
Jonathan Ouellet
Dionysios Kalantzis-Papadopoulos
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Mees Schenkius
Sofia Kane
Milena Blokzijl
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Dion Stawrianidis
Nektaria Alyfanti
Bram van der Lichte
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Skye van Bragt
Jingyi Wang
Aster Bunschoten
Abby McGroarty
Leo Stoppel
Søren Svendsen
Athos Voutsakis
Maximilian Amerstorfer
Gaëlle Lacoste
Elizabeth Roberts (Manchester University)
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Prof. Dr. Joanita Vroom
Dr. Alexandra Kostarelli
Dr. Andrew Blackler
Dr. Konstantinos Politis
Ritchie Kolvers
Jonathan Ouellet
Dionysios Kalantzis-Papadopoulos
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Annance Minneboo
Ifigeneia Tsigka
Charalampos Maltoudis
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Milena Blokzijl
Mees Schenkius
Gaya Postma
Jackie Dubbeldam
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Dagmar Niemeijer
Dion Stavrianidis
Jochem Wilmes
Tibor Bol
Anne van der Spoel
Stijn Oudshoorn
Bram van der Lichte
Milan Gijben
Zoë Schaaf
Adriana Madonna Ripa
Allard de Bie
Agnieszka Gawin
Ole Six
Dennis Leung
Terra Lustig
Fiona ‘t Hart
Myrthe Koeman
Mary Pangemanan
Eline Schollaardt
Anne-Maartje Lobregt
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Prof. Dr. Joanita Vroom
Dr. Alexandra Kostarelli
Dr. Andrew Blackler
Dr. Konstantinos Politis
Ritchie Kolvers
Jonathan Ouellet
Dionysios Kalantzis-Papadopoulos
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Fabien Bastian
Wim van Es
Maxime Mulders
Tsveta Kodzhabasheva
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Patryk Sztandar-Sztanderski
Milena Blokzijl
Tessa Bosch
Tamar van Meerkerken
Sem de Kort
Matteo Pizzuti
Mees Schenkius
Julia Drijver
Tobias Lancel
Robbert van de Winkel
Gaya Postma
Jackie Dubbeldam
Tim Odermatt
Emmanouile Pappaiounou