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Professor Jen Baird

Positions held:
  • Professor of Archaeology, School of Historical Studies
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  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Jen Baird is founding Director of the Carena Institute of Sustainable Archaeologies. Jen came to 糖心logo入口 in 2008 after holding a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the University of Leicester.听She听has published extensively on the archaeology of everyday life, archaeological archives, and the history of archaeology. Many of these publications have focussed on the site of Dura-Europos in Syria, where she has worked both in the field and in the archives, now held at Yale. She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Member of the听Academia Europaea.

    Her most recent monograph听is (Bloomsbury). Her earlier book on the housing of Dura, ,听was published by Oxford. She has co-edited a number of collections including听 (2011), (2019), and (2022). Much of Jen's听current work focusses on archaeological archives. She is on the editorial board of , and has published on archival topics in the and the . Archival work also underpins her collaborative work听on the global dispersal of Syrian heritage, published in .

    Jen uses archaeological ethnographies to think about the occlusions of the archives, and their long-term impacts, for example in the a recent article in听. The omissions and occlusions of archives are also addressed in the exhibit and community project .

    Highlights

    • Founding member of . Formed urgently as the Assad regime fell,听and bringing together an international team of world-leading experts on the site, the project aims to protect the site of Dura-Europos at this crucial time.

    • Leader of听the Carena Institute of Sustainable Archaologies projects in Syria including collaborations with the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM).

    Web profiles

    Administrative responsibilities

    • Director, Carena Institute of Sustainable Archaeologies
    • Director, MA Archaeology and Heritage
    • University of Sanctuary Working Group

    Professional memberships

    • Elected member of the

    • Fellow of the

    • Association for Critical Heritage Studies

    • Archaeological Institute of America

    Honours and awards

    • Keynote Lecture, The Shadows of the Discipline: Time in Archaeological Photographs University of British Columbia, Department of Anthropology/Department of Classics Near Eastern and Religious Studies, November 2019
    • Keynote Lecture, The Ruins of Local Memory Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, April 2023
    • Keynote Lecture, Imperial Debris Global and Local Cultures in the Roman East: From Domination to Interaction, University of Helsinki, November 2018
    • Keynote Lecture, In Small Scratches Forgotten: Perspectives on Graffiti from Ancient Dura-Europos Amsterdam Centre of Urban Studies, UVA, November 2016
    • Margo Tytus Research Fellowship Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, November 2008
    • Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow Leverhulme Trust, November 2007

    ORCID

  • Research

    Research

    Research Centres and Institutes

    Research projects

    Abstract

    is a major Digital Humanities initiative funded by the US鈥檚 National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies. Our work is aimed at digitally re-integrating dispersed collections and discipline-specific knowledge related to the important cultural heritage site of Dura-Europos (Syria).

    Lives in Ruins: Assessing and Addressing the Needs of Syrian Heritage Workers

    Abstract

    听(OSUN)

    How can we collaborate across borders in times of conflict and crisis? Can digital humanities methodologies underpin more equitable exchange, and even disrupt entrenched hierarchies of knowledge? Our project seeks to understand key challenges in the Middle Eastern heritage sector, particularly in Syria, through a series of action-oriented workshops.

    When Syria's most acclaimed and recognisable archaeological site, Palmyra, suffered catastrophic and deliberate damage, voices within and outside Syria decried the violence. Almost a decade on, Syria's heritage, like its people, are often forgotten, replaced by more recent conflicts and seemingly more urgent problems, although the conflict in Syria is no less urgent now for many people than it was a decade ago. The training needs of Syrian heritage workers are acute, and despite very difficult conditions they continue to do their utmost to protect and run museums and monitor archaeological sites.

    Working directly with a small group of heritage workers in eastern Syria, we aim to assess current needs with regard to the digital documentation of endangered heritage and community relationships to that heritage, and then address those needs through bespoke training workshops. The project will lead to new specialized skills for engaged heritage workers, enhanced community engagement, and novel research.

    Archaeological Archives as Inclusive Learning Labratories.

    Abstract

    (ACLS) American excavations at iconic sites, like Dura-Europos in Syria, have shaped museums, textbooks, and academic fields in the West, but local communities whose labor made these digs possible have long been reduced to nameless figures in photographs or line-items in budget records. This project aims to insert and amplify local Syrian voices, giving communities a platform to share their stories alongside traditional archaeological narratives. By introducing local perspectives and affordances, it seeks to rebalance a one- sided history and make digital archives more accessible to a wider range of users. Deliverables include oral histories, an enriched dataset, digital training for students and marginalized professionals, and an optimized browsing interface.

    The Ruins of Local Memory: Archaeological Archives and Post-Conflict Planning

    Abstract

    (CBRL)

    This project seeks to support the post-conflict rebuilding of community relationships with archaeological sites in Syria. It aims to do so through a pilot project, using existing archival photographs as a prompt for archaeological ethnographies, to be conducted in the community adjacent to the archaeological听site of Dura-Europos. The site, now devastated by looting, has been the subject of investigation by American and European institutions for more than a century, but local, Syrian, relationships to local heritage have never been documented. Our international team aims to address this gap, with outcomes including research and policy-supporting work.

    Co-Is:听Adnan Almohamad;听Hiba Alkhalaf;听Asaad Alsaleh;听Anne Chen;听Melissa Cradic;听Asmaa Shehadah;听Isber Sabrine;听Valeria Vitale

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions within 糖心logo入口:
    6

    I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who are interested in undertaking research in any of my areas of research interest,听including听the Roman Near East, archaeological photography, and archaeological archives.

    Current doctoral researchers

    • JULIET SAMSON-CONLON
      Nature of supervision:
      PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,
      Title of thesis:
      Childhood in the Roman Near East: the archaeology of children at Dura-Europos
    • CLAIRE WALSH
      Nature of supervision:
      JOINT PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,
      Title of thesis:
      Wasted London: Rubbish and Recycling from the Romans to the late Victorians
    • JOHN CAMPBELL
      Nature of supervision:
      PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,
      Title of thesis:
      The Thames on the eve of Londinium. Exploring a late Iron Age landscape
    • IRENE LIESK
      Nature of supervision:
      JOINT PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,
      Title of thesis:
      Everyday food tasks and foodways in the Late Classical Greek house, based on the 'plain' ceramics from House Bix6 at Olynthos. Everyday food tasks in the Classical Greek House: The Plain Ceramics in the Context of the House.

    Doctoral alumni since 2013-14

    • BETH HODGETT
      Nature of supervision:
      Joint Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Life in Photographs: Movement, Materiality and Temporality in the Archives of O.G.S. Crawford
      Awarded:
      2022
    • ILARIA BUCCI
      Nature of supervision:
      Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Scratching the Surface: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Graffiti from Hatra in Northern Iraq
      Awarded:
      2024
  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Baird, Jennifer and Bobou, O. and Kamash, Z. and Raja, R. (2026) . American Journal of Archaeology 103 (3), ISSN 0002-9114. (In Press)
    • Baird, Jennifer and Alkhalaf, Hiba and Chen, A.H. and Almohamad, Adnan (2026) . DSH: Digital Scholarship in the Humanities ISSN 2055-768X. (In Press)
    • Alkhalaf, Hiba and Baird, Jennifer and Chen, A. and Cradic, M.S. and Sabrine, I. and Vitale, V. (2026) . Advances in Archaeological Practice ISSN 2326-3768.
    • Baird, Jennifer and Almohamad, Adnan (2026) . Antiquity: A Review of World Archaeology ISSN 0003-598X.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2024) . Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies 12 (1), pp. 20-34. ISSN 21663548.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2024) . Minerva 2023, pp. 13-19. ISSN 0957-7718.
    • Baird, Jennifer and Rothe, U. (2024) . Eastern Christian Art ISSN 1781-0930.
    • Baird, J. A. and Kamash, Zena and Raja, Rubina (2023) . Journal of Social Archaeology 23 (1), pp. 76-98. ISSN 1469-6053.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2020) . Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal 3 (1), pp. 2. ISSN 2515-2289.
    • Baird, Jennifer and Kamash, Z. (2019) . Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 62 (1), pp. 1-29. ISSN 0076-0730.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2018) . Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis 131 (1), pp. 17-33. ISSN 0040-7518.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2017) . Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies 26 (2), pp. 165-186. ISSN 1356-9325.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2015) . Helios 42 (1), pp. 163-175. ISSN 0160-0923.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. and McFadyen, Lesley (2014) . Archaeological Review from Cambridge 29 (2), ISSN 0261-4332.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2013) . Journal of Roman Archaeology 25, pp. 146-170. ISSN 1047-7594.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2011) . American Journal of Archaeology 115 (3), pp. 427-446. ISSN 0002-9114.

    Book

    • Baird, Jennifer and Pudsey, April, eds. (2022) . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108845267.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2018) . Archaeological Histories. London, UK: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781472530875.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2014) . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199687657.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. and Taylor, C., eds. (2010) . Routledge Studies in Ancient History. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415878890.

    Book review

    • Baird, Jennifer (2025) .
    • Baird, Jennifer (2022) .
    • Baird, J.A. (2022) .

    Book section

    • Baird, Jennifer (2026) . In: Bobou, O. and K眉hn, M. and Raja, R. (eds.) Excavating Cities and Archiving Knowledge. Archive Archaeology. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols. ISBN 9782503625188. (In Press)
    • Baird, Jennifer and Almohamad, Adnan and Alsaleh, A. (2025) . In: Brody, L. and Hunnell Chen, A. (eds.) Dura-Europos: Past, Present, Future. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols. pp. 200-211. ISBN 97825036160491.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2025) . In: Raja, R. and Seland, E.H. (eds.) Palmyra, the Roman Empire, and the Third Century Crisis - Zooming in and Scaling up from the Evidence. Oriens et Occidens. Stuttgart, Germany: Franz Steiner Verlag. pp. 135-148. ISBN 9783515140218.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2025) . In: Birley, A. and Walas, A. (eds.) Relativism and the Frontiers of Empire: Critical Perspectives on Roman Soldiers, Communities and Military Landscapes. Oxford, UK: Archaeopress. pp. 161-169. ISBN 9781805830689.
    • Baird, Jennifer and Kamash, Z. and Raja, R. (2024) . In: Raja, R. (ed.) Palmyra in Perspective. Studies in Palmyrene Archaeology and History. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols. pp. 231-248. ISBN 9782503610320.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2023) . In: Bonnie, R. and Klingborg, P. (eds.) Water in Ancient Mediterranean Households. Global Perspectives in Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology. Routledge. ISBN 9781032213972.
    • Baird, Jennifer and von Reden, Sitta (2023) . In: von Reden, S. (ed.) Handbook of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Economies. De Gruyter. pp. 535-558. ISBN 9783110604641.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2023) . In: Raja, R. (ed.) Shaping Archaeological Archives: Dialogues between Fieldwork, Museum Collection, and Private Archives. Archaeological Archives. Brepols. pp. 19-32. ISBN 9782503605647.
    • Meyer, Caspar (2022) . In: Baird, Jennifer and Pudsey, April (eds.) Housing in the Ancient Mediterranean World: Material and Textual Approaches. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108845267.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2022) . In: Boubou, O. and Miranda, A.C. and Raja, R. (eds.) Archival Historiographies - The Impact of Twentieth-Century Legacy Data on Archaeological Investigations. Archive Archaeology. Brepols Publishers. ISBN https://www.brepols.net/products/IS-9782503600185-1.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2021) . In: Kaizer, T. (ed.) A Companion to the Hellenistic and Roman Near East. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World. Wiley. pp. 295-304. ISBN 9781444339826.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2019) . In: McFadyen, Lesley and Hicks, D. (eds.) Archaeology and Photography: Time, Objectivity and Archive. London, UK: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781350029682.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2017) . In: Kaizer, T. (ed.) Religion, Society and Culture at Dura-Europos. Yale Classical Studies. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107123793.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. and Taylor, C. (2016) . In: Ross, J. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Graffiti and Street Art. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 17-26. ISBN 9781138792937.
    • Baird, Jennifer and Taylor, C. (2016) . In: Ross, J.I. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Graffiti and Street Art. New York, U.S.: Routledge. pp. 17-26. ISBN 9780367335977.
    • Baird, Jennifer (2015) . In: Benefiel, R. and Keegan, P. (eds.) Inscriptions in the Private Sphere in the Greco-Roman World. Brill Studies in Greek and Roman Epigraphy. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 11-31. ISBN 9789004307124.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2013) . In: Clark, P. (ed.) Oxford Handbook of Cities in World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199589531.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2013) . In: Clark, P. (ed.) Oxford Handbook of Cities in World History. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 181-196. ISBN 9780199589531.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2012) . In: Lafrenz Samuels, K. and Totten, D. (eds.) Making Roman Places, Past and Present. Journal of Roman Archaeology Supplemental Series. Rhode Island, U.S.: Journal of Roman Archaeology. pp. 34-49. ISBN 9781887829892.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2012) . In: Christie, N. and Augenti, A. (eds.) Vrbes Extinctae: Archaeologies of Abandoned Classical Towns. Farnham, UK: Ashgate. pp. 307-330. ISBN 9780754665625.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2012) . In: Baird, Jennifer A. and Taylor, C. (eds.) Ancient Graffiti in Context. New York, USA: Routledge. pp. 49-68. ISBN 9780415653527.
    • James, S. and Baird, Jennifer A. and Strutt, K. (2012) . In: Leriche, P. and Coqueugniot, G. and De Pontbriand, S. (eds.) Europos-Doura Varia 1. Biblioth猫que arch茅ologique et historique. Beyrouth: Institut franc抬ais du Proche-Orient. pp. 111-116. ISBN 9782351593752.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2012) . In: Leriche, P. and Coqueugniot, G. and De Pontbriand, S. (eds.) Europos-Doura Varia 1. Biblioth猫que arch茅ologique et historique. Beyrouth: Institut franc抬ais du Proche-Orient. pp. 231-240. ISBN 9782351593752.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2011) . In: Hoffman, G. and Brody, L. (eds.) Dura-Europos: Crossroads of Antiquity. Boston, U.S.: McMullan Museum. pp. 235-250.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2010) . In: Baird, Jennifer A. and Taylor, C. (eds.) Ancient Graffiti in Context. Routledge Studies in Ancient History. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415878890.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. and Taylor, C. (2010) . In: Baird, Jennifer A. and Taylor, C. (eds.) Ancient Graffiti In Context. Routledge Studies in Ancient History. New York: Routledge. pp. 1-19. ISBN 9780415878890.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2010) . In: Gagarin, M. (ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 161-165. ISBN 9780195170726.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2007) . In: Lavan, L. and Swift, E. and Putzeys, T. (eds.) Objects In Context, Objects In Use: Material Spatiality In Late Antiquity. Late Antique Archaeology. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 413-437. ISBN 9789004165502.
    • Baird, Jennifer A. (2007) . In: Croxford, B. and Ray, N. and Roth, R. and White, N. (eds.) TRAC '06: Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference Proceedings. Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books. pp. 34-42. ISBN 9781842172643.