Ann Brysbaert is Professor in Ancient Technologies, Materials and Crafts at KU Leuven, Archaeology Research Unit and Guest Researcher at the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University.

More information about Ann Brysbaert

Research

Professor Ann Brysbaert works on the socio- economical aspects of monumental architecture and human ecology in Bronze Age Greece and the East Mediterranean, pre-industrial technologies and related social practices, the integration of science-based studies with theoretical approaches and science-based topics relating to pyrotechnologies, painted plaster and mortars, workshop and craft activity area contexts, and the various socio-economic roles of both inorganic and organic materials in prehistoric East Mediterranean contexts.

Since January 2026, Ann is Professor at KU Leuven (Belgium) where she is also Principal Investigator of the ODYSSEIA project (2026-2030), funded by an FWO Odysseus type I grant. Her email there is: ann.brysbaert@kuleuven.be From 2022 until 2025, Ann combined her Professor position at Leiden University (Fac. of archaeology) with being the Director of the Netherlands Institute at Athens. From 2015 until 2022, she was Principal Investigator of the ERC-CoG grant project SETinSTONE, based at Leiden University (Fac. of Archaeology).

In 2007 when still at Leicester University (U.K.), Ann initiated the ‘Tracing Networks’ project, and together with Lin Foxhall, they applied and received a large Leverhulme Research Grant of 1.8 million pounds for 5 years (2008-2014); this was divided over three UK universities and nine sub-projects. Ann has been the PI for the ‘Cross-craft interaction in the cross-cultural context of the Late Bronze Age East Mediterranean’ project, based at Tiryns, Greece (via Leicester University) and Dr. M. Vetters worked on the project from 2009-13 as research associate. 

Teaching activities

Ann has been teaching regularly since 1994, both in the field (first aid for finds on excavations), hands-on and preventive conservation in field and museum laboratories, and in university courses: in class room, in the field and distance learning (Universities of Leicester, Glasgow, Bordeaux, Amsterdam, Leiden). She developed and taught both practical and theoretical courses in the fields of conservation and heritage; Aegean, Greek and East Mediterranean Archaeology; Theory in Archaeology; Ancient Materials and Technologies in the Ancient Greek World; and many others. In Leiden Ann was (co)teaching in both BA and MA programmes in Material Culture Studies and World Archaeology (Mediterranean Archaeology).

Curriculum Vitae

· 2018-2025: Professor of Ancient Technologies, Materials and Crafts, Leiden University, Fac. of Archaeology, The Netherlands, (Leiden University, FdA).

· 2015-2022: Principal Investigator of project: SETinSTONE. Funding: ERC Consolidator grant. Leiden University, FdA

· 2018-2020: Expert member of the International Research Program: ‘Material Entanglements in the Ancient Mediterranean and Beyond’. PIs: prof. M. Feldman (J.Hopkins University, USA), dr. A. Zournatzi (National Research Foundation, Athens, Greece). Funding: J.P. Getty Foundation.

· 2016-2018: Member of the Conseil Scientifique International du LaScArBx, University of Bordeaux Montaigne.

· 2015-2017: Associate Professor, Material Culture Studies & Archaeological Sciences, Leiden University, FdA.

· 2016-2018: Vice Dean of Research, Leiden University, FdA.

· 2015: Lecturer in Archaeological Sciences, School of Humanities (Archaeology), Glasgow University, Scotland.

· 2008-2014: Principal Investigator of: ‘Cross-Craft Interaction at Tiryns, Greece’ and co-initiator of the ‘Tracing Networks in the Mediterranean and Beyond’ project. Involved: Universities: Leicester, Glasgow, and Exeter. Funding: Leverhulme Trust Research Grant.

· 2014: Invited Professor, Bordeaux Montaigne University, Maison Ausonius LaScArBx, France.

· 2013-2015: Senior Marie Curie – Gerda Henkel Research Fellow, M4Human Programme. Leiden University, FdA.

· 2010-2013: Senior A. von Humboldt Research Fellow, Heidelberg University, Germany.

· 2009-2013: Academic course tutor for the Distance Learning (DL) MA programme, Leicester University, School of Museum Studies.

· 2008-2012: Professor in Ancient Greek Studies, DIKEMES/CYA, Athens, Greece.

· 2004-2009: Lecturer of Archaeology & Anthropology, Collections Care. Programme Director of the DL courses, Leicester University, Dept. of Museum Studies.

· 2000-2004: PhD, Glasgow University. Supervision: Dr. R.E. Jones, Prof. A.B. Knapp.

Activities