ASOR FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
KATIE KEARNS
Helping Dr. Maria Iacovou on the Palaepaphos Urban Landscape Project, in 2012, on Cyprus
What was your most memorable moment during the excavation season you participated in?
I spent the Heritage award traveling to Cyprus, to participate in a geophysical survey of two important Late Bronze Age cities, to better understand their layout and development. I learned the method of magnetometry survey and data collection, as well as how to interpret the results. As it was my first time on Cyprus, the 2-week trip was full of exciting and interesting discoveries, especially in visiting sites around the island and experiencing their great cuisine. One memorable moment came when our team got to travel to the capital, Nicosia, and see its historic center and still-standing monuments, such as the famous Venetian walls.
What advice would you give a fellow recipient?
I would encourage any students who use these grants for archaeological fieldwork to have an open mind and to try to experience as much as they can during their time in another country, and to take in its culture. Try new foods! In terms of fieldwork, volunteer to try new methods or learn new skills, which will be invaluable as you continue your research and build your own ideas about how to do archaeology.
Are you still affiliated with ASOR as a member?
I am an ASOR member who has gone to the last few Annual Meetings (Baltimore, San Francisco) as well as stayed at ASOR institutions, namely the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) in Nicosia, Cyprus.
I’ve given a few papers at the Annual Meetings as well as organized a session. I was a Fulbright student at CAARI in 2012-2013.
What is the current status of your career or education (or other project)?
I am currently finishing my PhD in classical archaeology at Cornell University, writing a dissertation on human-environment relationships in Iron Age Cyprus that uses a combination of scientific and archaeological methods to explore landscape and social change. I continue to work on Cyprus in the summers doing the same geophysical project (KAMBE) as well as archaeological survey.
How did the scholarship/grant help you with your career?
The Heritage scholarship helped me travel to Cyprus in 2010, which instilled in me a great fascination for the island, its history, and its people. I have kept coming back to do fieldwork and to visit new friends and colleagues, and I look forward to my next visit. Scholarships such as this one are incredibly important for providing students with experiences like mine.
