Azra Say-Ötün is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Archaeology.

More information about Azra Say Otun

Current Research

I am examining whether mobility patterns (e.g., being born somewhere other than one’s burial place) reflected, structured and/or were influenced by materially visible social difference – or lack thereof – in late prehistoric Cyprus (ca. 4000-1700 B.C.E.). This will involve establishing an updated bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr and δ¹⁸O isoscape for Cyprus and comparing these to isotope values from human remains at significant burial sites on the island from the period in question. This project is part of the Inequal Cyprus project, which aims to holistically investigate the emergence of consolidated socioeconomic inequalities in Cyprus, contributing to knowledge of this process in West Asia.

Curriculum vitae

I read for a BA in Archaeology at the University of Cambridge (2019-2022), later followed by an MSc in Archaeological Science, Human Osteoarchaeology specialization at Leiden University (2023-2025). My thesis, supervised by Dr. Sarah Schrader, investigated the embodied health impact of socioeconomic status among the postmedieval urban populations of Arnhem versus Delft. I combined vertebral neural canal size measurements (proxy for early life stress) and Transition Analysis age estimates to analyze how stress exposure during development affected longevity. I am currently a PhD student with the Inequal Cyprus research group at Leiden University (2025-2029).

Over the years, I have been involved in various field projects in Cyprus, including Chlorakas-Palloures (since 2023), as well as internships at the Cyprus Institute STAR-C and Cyprus Missing Persons Committee. Since 2024, I have been conducting preliminary osteological analysis of Archaic period burials for the Panormos Necropolis Project (DAI Istanbul; Archaeological Museum at Balat), aiming to understand the population structure and mobility patterns of the burial population, and contribute to the gap in bioarchaeological data in Archaic South Ionia.

Office Days

Weekdays.