Florida State University’s Department of Classics recently celebrated a banner night at the Archaeological Institute of America’s (AIA) Annual Meeting in San Francisco.  

Nancy de Grummond, the M. Lynette Thompson Professor of Classics and Distinguished Research Professor and director of Excavations and Research at the Cetamura del Chianti archaeological site in Tuscany, was recognized with the 2026 Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement.  

Two FSU graduates and alumni of the FSU Archaeological Field School at Cetamura del Chianti were also honored at the ceremony. 

“The AIA awards dinner in San Francisco offered a snapshot of what FSU Classics is all about: a department filled with pathbreaking and influential professors who inspire excellence in their students, who in turn become pathbreaking and influential scholars, thus ensuring that the field remains at the forefront of the humanities,” said Tim Stover, chair of the Department of Classics.  

The AIA supports archaeologists, their research and its dissemination, and the ethical practice of archaeology while promoting archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past to foster an appreciation of cultures and shared humanity. The Gold Medal, awarded to one archaeologist each year, recognizes distinguished contributions to the discipline through research and fieldwork. It’s considered analogous to a lifetime achievement award. 

De Grummond has served as director of Excavations and Research at Cetamura since 1983, leading generations of FSU students to the site each summer. The site was discovered in 1964 by Italian archaeologist Alvaro Tracchi, and students from FSU’s Department of Classics started excavating the site in 1973 after the FSU Florence program obtained a permit from the Italian government.  

Now known as the Archaeology in Tuscany Program, FSU students live in a Chianti hill town close to the site and excavate artifacts, study stratigraphy and learn how to process their finds while taking courses examining a variety of approaches to archaeology in the field, the lab and the museum. It is administered by International Programs.  

“It is hard to describe the joy and satisfaction that comes with this kind of recognition,” de Grummond said. “In addition, the thrill of receiving the award was magnified when I found out that two of my students were sharing the podium at the ceremony. We are all so fortunate to have had the FSU International Programs and Department of Classics create the environment where our potential was nurtured.” 

Two FSU alumni were also honored at the AIA’s Annual Meeting. Melanie Godsey (B.A. ‘13) was recognized for her contributions to the book, “Households in Context: Dwelling in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt” (Cornell University Press, 2023), which focuses on the daily lives of families in Egypt, moving beyond elite narratives. The book won the 2026 James R. Wiseman Book Award from AIA, which honors an outstanding academic book in archaeology published within the past four years that advances the field through original research and synthesis. Godsey earned her bachelor’s degree in Classical Archaeology from FSU in 2013 and is an assistant professor of Classical Studies at Trinity University in San Antonio.  

Taylor Cwikla (B.A. ‘19, M.A. ‘22) received the inaugural Gold Public Engagement Award from AIA, which recognizes members who make archaeology accessible to a broad range of non-specialist audiences. Cwikla earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Classical Archaeology from FSU and serves as a museum educator at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece, building educational resources that educators worldwide can access for free.  

During their time at FSU, Godsey and Cwikla both spent time at Cetamura. Cwikla served as a field archaeologist and research assistant in 2016 and as an excavation supervisor in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Godsey was a field archaeologist and research assistant at Cetamura in 2010 and has also worked at sites in Egypt and Greece.  

Discoveries by FSU at Cetamura have unearthed a long and diverse history that encompasses successive settlements by the Etruscans (7th-1st centuries BCE), the Romans (1st century BCE-4th century CE), and Medieval Italians (11th-12th century CE). In 2023, FSU celebrated 50 years of discoveries at Cetamura with the inauguration of the new Civic Museum at the Origins of Chianti. Located 9 kilometers from the archaeological site, the museum collection highlights the archeological discoveries at Cetamura, including Etruscan and Roman artifacts. 

“The research de Grummond has done on the material found at Cetamura has helped revolutionize our understanding of the Etruscans,” Stover said. “She has been an influential, inspirational and generous scholar, one whose work has not only changed the way we think about ancient Italy but has positively impacted the lives of countless students. Two of those students, Taylor Cwikla and Melanie Godsey, have gone on to have amazing careers, so it is no surprise that they too have been recognized by the AIA.” 

For more information about FSU’s Department of Classics, visit classics.fsu.edu. To learn more about the Archaeology in Tuscany program, visit the International Programs website.  

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Florida State University unveiled three new striking bronze statues in the Student Union last week titled “Vires, Artes, Mores,” representing the university’s core values of strength, skill, and character.  

Cast from the same molds originally created for sculptures displayed at the FSU Florence Study Center, the statues bring a piece of FSU’s international heritage home to Tallahassee. 

Standing over eight feet tall atop custom pedestals crafted by the FSU Master Craftsman Studio, the figures are nearly identical to their counterparts at FSU Florence. Their Renaissance design evokes the rich artistic legacy of Florence, while their presence on campus serves as a powerful symbol of discovery, resilience and global connection. 

“The commitment that we have at Florida State University to our international programs is profound,” FSU President Richard McCullough said. “These figures will be a lasting reminder of everything that we stand for and our enduring connection to the world. These statues are powerful reminders of what makes us Florida State University— strength, skill, and character.” 

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A Florida State University Department of Classics researcher has been named a 2025-2026 Getty Scholar for his work in Roman archaeology, visual culture, the social history of Rome’s eastern provinces and ancient colonization.

Professor of Classics Andrea De Giorgi will use the residential fellowship to explore the topic of repair for the 40th anniversary of the Getty Research Institute’s Getty Scholars Program. In addition to researching this topic, De Giorgi will engage with prestigious libraries and collections through the Getty Villa Scholars Program at the Villa and the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles, Calif. under the theme of religious experience in antiquity.

“Being named a Getty Scholar is one of the highest honors in the field of ancient visual culture, and it is a great privilege to be part of the Getty Villa community,” said De Giorgi, who joined FSU’s faculty in 2012. “I am especially proud to be the first scholar from FSU to receive this distinction.”

Since its inception in 1985, the Getty Scholars Program has supported about 1,300 scholars from more than 50 countries around the world and provides a space at the Getty Center and Getty Villa for interdisciplinary collaboration and scholarship that contributes to broader public understanding of cultural heritage.

“Being named a Getty Scholar is one of the highest honors in the field of ancient visual culture, and it is a great privilege to be part of the Getty Villa community. I am especially proud to be the first scholar from FSU to receive this distinction.”

— Andrea De Giorgi, professor of Classics

“The project I’ll explore through this fellowship investigates ancient Daphne, a site of extraordinary significance in antiquity located in modern-day Harbiye, Turkey,” De Giorgi said. “My project draws on excavation data from this site, which is nestled within an idyllic landscape of springs, from 1932 to 1939. At one point, Daphne was home to a synagogue, an oracle of Apollo, pagan sanctuaries, and eventually Christian churches. The plateau was a central hub for parades, festivals, sacred rites and at times, violent conflicts.”

One of the goals of this project is to create a coherent and dynamic topography of the land, challenging and revising long-held narratives of the area. While the archaeological record of that time is fragmented, De Giorgi will integrate disconnected excavation units, mosaic pavements, ancient houses and previously undocumented monumental features to present a more complete topography of Daphne.

“Another aim of my project is to shift the focus of this area to a human scale by tracing the movements, encounters and religious experiences of the throngs of visiting worshippers and inhabitants of the site,” De Giorgi said. “By reconstructing ground-level perspectives, the project explores the material and social dimensions of ritual practice and inter-religious interactions.”

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in classics from Università di Torino in Torino, Italy, in 1996, De Giorgi earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in classical and near eastern archaeology from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 2001 and 2006.

Since 2013, he has directed FSU’s Cosa Excavations in Cosa, Italy, an ongoing excavation focused on a bath establishment as well as on the investigation of the fortifications and the commercial areas of the Roman colony.

De Giorgi also co-directs the Montereggi Archaeological Project, a three-year excavation in Italy begun in summer 2024, which seeks to uncover the history of an ancient Etruscan hilltop settlement predating ancient Roman communities. Previously, De Giorgi directed excavations and surveys in countries including Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Georgia and the United Arab Emirates.

“De Giorgi is precisely the type of scholar the Getty Scholars Program seeks to support. His work is innovative, collaborative and interdisciplinary. Moreover, his pathbreaking and wide-ranging research has developed new audiences for the study of the ancient world.”

— Tim Stover, Department of Classics chair

“De Giorgi is precisely the type of scholar the Getty Scholars Program seeks to support. His work is innovative, collaborative and interdisciplinary,” said Tim Stover, Department of Classics chair. “Moreover, his pathbreaking and wide-ranging research has developed new audiences for the study of the ancient world.”

His scholarship continues to attract exceptional graduate students to FSU’s Department of Classics. Over the years, he has mentored a notable number of master’s and doctoral candidates—highlighting both the impact of his research and his strength as a mentor. Being named a Getty Scholar is a prestigious honor that recognizes De Giorgi’s achievements and brings distinction to the university.

Throughout his career, De Giorgi has earned nearly 30 awards, honors and fellowships and 18 grants supporting his research, which also encompasses Late Antiquity — an era of political and religious transformation generally spanning the 4th through 6th century C.E. in Europe, marking the decline of the Western Roman Empire. He has authored three books and edited 40. In 2023, he was named a fellow of the National Humanities Center.

To learn more about De Giorgi’s work and research conducted in the Department of Classics, visit classics.fsu.edu.

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Three Florida State University students — Jonus Goldstein, Max Harden and Matthew John Aguilera — have been named 2025 Humanities at Hertog Fellows, selected from a competitive cohort of students from various elite institutions.

The Humanities at Hertog Fellowship, a prestigious and new opportunity offered through FSU’s Office of National Fellowships, provides a fully subsidized program that enables fellows to immerse themselves in rigorous academic inquiry through online seminars and summer programs in the humanities, law and international affairs.

During the spring 2025 semester, the Hertog Fellows participated in a six-week online seminar focusing on Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War.”

“We are incredibly proud of these students for their selection as Humanities at Hertog Fellows,” said Ryan Owens, director of FSU’s Institute for Governance and Civics. “This recognition confirms FSU’s commitment to academic excellence and shows the importance of studying topics like western civilization and the ideas that underlie America’s foundation.”  

Jonus Goldstein, a sophomore from New Port Richey, Florida, is pursuing a dual degree in management information systems and political science with a minor in urban and regional planning.

At FSU, Goldstein excels in civic leadership. He serves in student government, works part-time as a legislative aide in the Florida Senate, and works as an Institute Assistant at the Institute for Governance and Civics. He also completed fellowships through FSU’s Sustainable Campus, where he led solar and electric vehicle infrastructure projects.

Competing with students from universities such as Yale and Stanford, he credited FSU’s support in being selected for the Hertog Fellowship.

“Having faculty and staff who take the time to mentor students, connect us with opportunities, and say: ‘you should go for this’ makes all the difference,” Goldstein said.

Goldstein emphasized the intellectual growth he experienced during the fellowship through deep, collaborative discussions with peers from a variety of academic backgrounds.

“The best part is the depth of thought everyone brings,” Goldstein said. “You’ve got people from completely different academic backgrounds all reading the same text, yet each person walks away with a different insight. You find yourself rethinking your own views just by listening. It’s an environment where you speak not just to be heard, but to understand.”

He also values Hertog’s 1,900-strong alumni network.

“My hope is that down the line, we’ll have multiple students representing FSU each year and that this kind of rigorous, civic-minded programming becomes something our students actively pursue,” he said. 

Max Harden, a junior from Tampa, Florida, is a double major in economics and philosophy with a minor in classics. He is a student assistant at FSU’s Institute for Governance and Civics and a researcher at the DeVoe L. Moore Center, specializing in aerospace and labor economics. 

“These seminars are outstanding since they allow us to build upon our FSU education in dynamic ways,” Harden said. “Thucydides’ work is an examination of human nature in war and across history, variously considering economics, politics, philosophy and international affairs. We get to ask interdisciplinary questions and pursue comprehensive answers in a dedicated community.” 

At FSU, Harden participates in the Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program under Assistant Teaching Professor Doug Norton, which equips students with analytical skills for opportunities like Hertog. He also credits professors Sam Staley and Randall Holcombe from the Department of Economics and Mark LeBar from the Department of Philosophy for investing in his intellectual formation inside and outside the classroom.  

“FSU students are given intellectual tools they can use to engage with scholars and top students from around the country by crossing disciplinary lines to seek answers to deep questions,” Harden said. “The PPE program fosters a unique ability to connect ideas across fields, preparing students to tackle complex issues with clarity and depth.” 

Harden looks forward to seeing more FSU students take advantage of programs like Hertog while continuing to explore the intersection of political theory and real-world policy. 

“I hope more FSU students pursue Hertog’s rigorous seminars,” Harden said. “I cannot thank my professors enough for investing in my growth as a student, intellectual and human. Thanks to them, this summer I will be working an economic policy internship that includes interdisciplinary discussion groups.” 

Matthew John Aguilera is a senior political science major from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

His academic path at FSU has been defined by a deep engagement with political science and international affairs, utilizing opportunities like the Hertog Fellowship to further his education in this field.

“I applied to the program because I was captivated by the idea of studying certain eternal principles of war and statecraft — what Thucydides sought to capture in his history, which he described ‘as a possession for all time,’ not something ‘to capture the applause of the moment,’” Aguilera said. “These lessons remain relevant to modern international affairs and politics.” 

Aguilera is currently interning with the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. and will attend the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship at Hillsdale College to pursue a master’s degree in politics in the fall.

He values the opportunity to engage with Hertog’s robust academic community and looks forward to applying these insights in his future studies.

“I highly recommend the fellowship to anyone with an interest in the humanities and a passion for intellectual rigor,” he said.

To learn about fellowship opportunities, visit onf.fsu.edu.

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A Florida State University archaeologist and distinguished research professor has earned the highest honor granted by the world’s largest and oldest archaeological organization.

Nancy de Grummond, the M. Lynette Thompson Professor of Classics and director of the FSU Archaeological Field School in Italy for the past 42 years, has earned the 2026 Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement from the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA). She will be honored at an awards ceremony at the 2026 AIA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., as well as at a Gold Medal colloquium held in her honor.

“I feel honored and humbled that they chose me,” de Grummond said. “Through the years, my main guiding principle has been to follow my instincts and pursue archaeological work that fascinated me. It was equally important to share the process with my students. It’s thrilling that I’ve been honored for something that already gives me great satisfaction.”

The AIA supports archaeologists, their research and its dissemination, and the ethical practice of archaeology while promoting archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past to foster an appreciation of cultures and shared humanity. The Gold Medal, awarded to one archaeologist each year, recognizes distinguished contributions to the discipline through research and fieldwork.

“The AIA’s Gold Medal is something of a lifetime achievement award, and Nancy has had a lifetime of remarkable achievements,” said Tim Stover, chair of the Department of Classics. “Her career includes influential research, pathbreaking fieldwork and impressive museum work — she’s exactly the type of scholar for whom this prestigious award was created.”

After founding the Archaeological Field School at the Cetamura del Chianti site in 1978, de Grummond became field director of the Cetamura program in 1983 and has since provided more than 500 graduate and undergraduate students with opportunities to participate in excavation, preservation work and the construction of exhibitions at Cetamura. The program is also supported by FSU International Programs and the FSU Study Center in Florence.

Excavations at Cetamura — which since the 7th century B.C.E. was home to Etruscans and later Romans, as well as Italians of the Middle Ages — have garnered international attention over the decades, in particular for the discoveries of an Etruscan sanctuary in 2006, water-logged grape seeds containing centuries-old DNA from an Etruscan well in 2013, and a collection of ancient Roman coins in 2016.

“This program has been very successful in training students to become professors, field archaeologists and other professionals,” de Grummond said. “I enjoy being in the field with the students, and I love being a university professor. I come to life when I’m around my students. More students are returning to Cetamura year after year, and they’re such an important part of my journey.”

This is de Grummond’s third award from the institute. In 2015, she received AIA’s Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award for her work in the classroom, and in 2022 she was presented with AIA’s Martha and Artemis Joukowsky Distinguished Service Award for her career-spanning service to the institute on local, regional and national levels. She is the first archaeologist to receive these three accolades, according to AIA officials. After serving as the president of the Tallahassee Society of the AIA, she helped the University of Florida open its own AIA chapter. De Grummond was also elected to and served on the program committee, the Gold Medal Award committee, the executive committee, and other groups within the institute.

In addition to her fieldwork, de Grummond has authored four books and 12 edited volumes on Etruscan art, religion, history, and excavations at Cetamura del Chianti. She organized 16 public exhibitions and played a major role in establishing the Museum of the Origins of Chianti, which opened in 2023 a few kilometers from the Cetamura site and features archaeological displays and finds from Cetamura, a painting gallery, histories of Chianti’s vineyards and landscapes and more.

At FSU, de Grummond has earned numerous honors, grants and awards from the university. She is an elected fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London as well as the Instituto Nazionale di Studi Etruschi ed Italici, or INSEI, in Italy. She serves as president for the North American section of INSEI, and her research on the Etruscans led her to write and co-edit “Etruscan Cities and Communities,” a series of historical volumes published by the University of Texas Press.

“As an influential, inspirational and generous scholar, Nancy’s work has not only changed the way we think about the Etruscans but has also positively impacted the lives of countless students,” Stover said.

To learn more about research in the Department of Classics, visit classics.fsu.edu. Learn more about the Cetamura del Chianti archaeological site online.

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Seven Florida State University students who conducted research at the Cetamura del Chianti archaeological site in Italy presented their findings during the 2024 Cetamura Day Conference in Tallahassee.

The conference, held early this fall, spotlighted the first cohort of Reckford Research Fellows, whose work was made possible by a $1 million gift to the Department of Classics by Charlotte Orth Reckford in honor of her late husband and Langford Eminent Scholar Professor Emeritus Kenneth J. Reckford.

The Orth Reckford Classics Fund for Research and Archives supports student research that combines science and the humanities and creates opportunities for students to gain curatorial, conservator and museum experience in the U.S. and abroad via the Archaeology in Tuscany program administered through FSU International Programs at Cetamura del Chianti.

“The incredibly generous donation from Charlotte Orth Reckford has transformed the research agenda at Cetamura after 50 years of excavation and has provided rare archaeological experiences for FSU students,” said Nancy DeGrummond, Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Classics and Director of Excavations and Research at Cetamura since 1983.

FSU students started excavating the site in 1973 after the FSU Florence Program obtained a permit from the Italian government. Excavations have unearthed materials ranging from waterlogged grape seeds to the remains of a Roman bath. The unique artifacts and buildings uncovered span three distinct periods: Etruscan, Roman and Italian medieval. Students can take courses examining a variety of approaches to archaeology in the field, the lab and the museum.

The program has provided hundreds of students with exclusive opportunities to participate in excavation, preservation work and the construction of exhibitions. FSU recently celebrated 50 years of archaeological excavations at Cetamura with the inauguration of the Civic Museum at the Origins of Chianti in Gaiole during the summer of 2023. The museum features spectacular archaeological discoveries from 50 years of excavations at Cetamura by FSU.

“Charlotte Orth Reckford’s generous donation has already funded important work at Cetamura and will continue to provide opportunities for our students to carry out research in Italy and beyond,” said Tim Stover, chair of the Department of Classics. “The donation’s impact on our department cannot be overstated. The research will give students invaluable experience and enrich our understanding of ancient Italy.”

From ancient grape seed DNA to the study of faunal remains and a catalog of stamped pottery, the fellows presented a variety of research throughout the day about their findings while at the Cetamura del Chianti Excavation and Research site. The daylong event also included presentations by DeGrummond, Stover and Lora Holland Goldthwaite, Reckford Senior Research Fellow and a professor at the University of North Carolina Asheville and longtime Cetamura collaborator.

The 2024 Reckford Research Fellows are Illeana Sanders, Hudson Kauffman, Elisa Moscone, Jackson Cheplick, Holly Piper, Eve Rozier and Reckford Digital Scholar David Picker-Kille.

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A new archaeological expedition led by a team of Florida State University researchers that began in Italy this summer has captured local excitement as the first discoveries from the excavation are revealed to the public.

The Montereggi Archaeological Project, co-directed by Professor of Classics Andrea De Giorgi, seeks to uncover the history of an ancient Etruscan hilltop settlement that predates settlement by the ancient Romans. The project has received a permit for three years, with the aim of extending the permit and eventually constructing an accompanying museum and research center.

“We hope our investigations help to imbue this ancient site with a sense of life, our goal is to glean the story of this historical setting, then restore the ancient site and present it back to the community.”

— Andrea De Giorgi, professor of Classics

“We hope our investigations help to imbue this ancient site with a sense of life,” De Giorgi said. “Our goal is to glean the story of this historical setting, then restore the ancient site and present it back to the community. We’re very grateful for the support of the property owners (George M. Rapier III and Villa Bibbiani), the township, the mayor and the local people who are all very excited about this project.”

A team of eight FSU classics graduate students began excavating the site in June using a mix of traditional methods, such as shovels and wheelbarrows, alongside advanced technologies such as ground-penetrating radar. The team has already unearthed several discoveries, including Etruscan coins, ceramics, pottery and remnants of a monumental building from the 5th century B.C.

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A Florida State University faculty member has earned two competitive humanities fellowships totaling almost $50,000 to investigate the evolution of poetic techniques in ancient and modern Greek poetry.

Assistant Professor of Classics Stephen Sansom has been elected a Fellow in Hellenic Studies at Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington D.C., and elected a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow (NEH) at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece (ASCSA).

The fellowships, which take place in the 2024-2025 academic year, will support Sansom’s exploration of how the ancient Greeks used language to tell old myths in new ways and what that means for Greek storytelling and oral tradition today.

“It’s the ideal scenario to study the ancient Greek world, with access to a community of scholars and world-class libraries. I couldn’t be happier to show the world how we can make new discoveries, even about poetry that we’ve been reading for 2,600 years.”

— Stephen Sansom Assistant Professor of Classics

“It’s an honor to receive these fellowships,” said Sansom, who specializes in early Greek poetry and its reception and digital humanities. “It’s the ideal scenario to study the ancient Greek world, with access to a community of scholars and world-class libraries. I couldn’t be happier to show the world how we can make new discoveries, even about poetry that we’ve been reading for 2,600 years.”

Sansom is one of 19 fellows elected to this year’s cohort at the Center for Hellenic Studies, which welcomed its first group of fellows in 1961. The field of Hellenic studies focuses on the ancient Greek world and includes studies in Greek history, language, literature and culture as well as the lasting influence of the ancient Greek world.

Emphasizing collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches, the center annually elects a group of fellows to support research on topics related to ancient Greece and explores the evolution of the Greek language and culture as a pivotal influence across diverse civilizations in the ancient Mediterranean world.

Since its inception in 1994, the NEH Fellowship program at ASCSA has hosted two to four scholars per year whose work reflects distinguished careers in the humanities. The fellowship provides critical resources for American scholars in Greek language, literature, history, archaeology, philosophy and art from pre-Hellenic times to the present.

“In Athens, I’ll have access to some of the best research holdings in the world,” Sansom said. “I’m looking forward to examining materials that you just can’t find anywhere else like original, rare publications of Byzantine texts from the 17th century.”

Sansom is only the third FSU faculty member to receive the Harvard fellowship since 1999, following associate professor of classics Virginia Lewis in 2017. He is the second faculty member to be awarded the ASCSA fellowship, following classics professor James Sickinger in 2018.

“Dr. Sansom’s appointment to these two fellowships shines a spotlight on the department by showcasing the groundbreaking work our outstanding faculty members undertake,” said Tim Stover, professor and chair of the FSU Department of Classics. “Dr. Sansom is an innovative thinker who is most well deserving of these awards. He will be an excellent ambassador for the department.”

At the Center for Hellenic Studies, Sansom’s project, “Patterns of Expectancy in Greek Epic: Between Computation and Close Reading,” will explore how language usage developed for the Greek epic from approximately the eighth century BCE to fifth century CE. He will use computer software to analyze language patterns in ancient Greek epics such as the Iliad and the Odyssey, looking for trends that otherwise may have escaped notice by scholars not immersed in the nuances of poetry like an ancient listener would have been.

In Athens, Sansom will conduct a comparative study between techniques used in modern and ancient Greek poetry, analyzing a collection of modern recordings from western areas of Crete, Greece’s largest island, and comparing the techniques used in modern Greek poetry with those of ancient Greek improvisational techniques.

“Modern Greek poetry is often improvised, created in the moment, using the same kind of rhythm you might find in Byzantine or Cretan Renaissance poems,” Sansom said. “For example, you might need to quickly make up a funny poem about the person sitting next to you at a wedding feast. I’m working with an archive of recordings and interviews of this kind of poetry and comparing it with the techniques used to create ancient Greek poetry.”

Sansom earned his doctorate in classics, language and literature from Stanford University in 2018 and was a postdoctoral associate in classics and a fellow in the Active Learning Initiative at Cornell University prior to joining FSU’s classics faculty in 2022. His research has appeared in the American Journal of Philology, Classical Philology and TAPA, the official research publication of the Society for Classical Studies, among others.

To learn more about Sansom’s work and research in FSU’s Department of Classics, visit classics.fsu.edu.

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Starting this summer, students and faculty in Florida State University’s Department of Classics, both at home and abroad, will have access to new research and professional development opportunities, thanks to a generous gift from the family of a former professor emeritus.

Charlotte Orth Reckford gifted $1 million to the department in honor of her late husband and Langford Eminent Scholar professor emeritus Kenneth J. Reckford. The Orth Reckford Classics Fund for Research and Archives supports student research that combines science and the humanities and creates opportunities for students to gain curatorial, conservator and museum experience in the U.S. and abroad via the Archaeology in Tuscany International Program for excavations at Cetamura del Chianti.

“This gift was made by my mother out of abiding love to honor my late father’s legacy of cultivating courage and a deep reverence for the humanities,” said David Orth Reckford, Charlotte and Kenneth’s son. “It is also a gesture of gratitude for the unconditional kindness and support with which FSU’s Department of Classics embraced him in the final chapter of his preeminent career and as an expression of support for the humanities and FSU classics in particular to advance archaeological and philological research.”

A significant portion of the gift will be endowed, providing funds in perpetuity to support excavations and research at Cetamura del Chianti, a research site in Italy’s Tuscany region operated by FSU’s Department of Classics and the FSU Florence Program, with archaeology work directed by M. Lynette Thompson Distinguished Research Professor of Classics Nancy de Grummond.

“For this summer at Cetamura, we were able to give 10 scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students, which will allow us to have the largest crew and the longest season in the last 10 years.”

– Nancy de Grummond, director of excavations at Cetamura del Chianti

For over 50 years, FSU faculty, staff and students have studied the Cetamura site, which is unique for its artifacts and buildings that span three distinct periods: Etruscan, Roman and Italian medieval. Excavations have unearthed materials ranging from waterlogged grape seeds to the remains of a Roman bath. The grape seeds are one of the site’s most important discoveries. The water trapped in the seeds preserved DNA well enough for researchers to determine more about wine and culture in the ancient world.

“The Reckford family’s continued and staunch support of the Department of Classics has had an immediate and great impact,” said Nancy de Grummond, director of excavations for Cetamura for over 40 years. “For this summer at Cetamura, we were able to give 10 scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students, which will allow us to have the largest crew and the longest season in the last 10 years.”

In addition to funding individual student research, the gift emphasizes the fundamental relationship between the sciences and the humanities by matching a separate contribution by John Goldthwaite, a former senior research scientist and husband of long-time Cetamura collaborator Lora Holland Goldthwaite. Goldthwaite’s gift has been used to scan the Chianti landscape with Light Detection and Ranging technology, or LiDAR, which uses pulsed light to map the terrain and detect structural remains above and below ground.

“Through this gift, my mother hopes to help grow the collaboration between classicists and scientists so that we can learn even more from our classical past to protect and enrich our collective future,” David Orth Reckford said. “My father would be delighted!”

Kenneth Reckford died in 2021 at age 88. In 1957, he earned a doctoral degree from Harvard University in classical philology and then spent three years as an instructor at Harvard. He taught for more than 40 years at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill before his retirement in 2003. In 2009, Reckford became a Langford Eminent Scholar at FSU, where he taught a graduate course on Plautus and an undergraduate course on comedy, satire and society.

To learn more about the Department of Classics, visit classics.fsu.edu or to make a gift to the department, visit give.fsu.edu.

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Florida State University will host a two-day event this weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Department of Classics’ archaeological excavation research site in Italy.

The festivities, slated for Friday, Sept. 8 and Saturday, Sept. 9, continue the department’s yearlong commemoration of the Cetamura del Chianti archaeological site and inauguration of the Museum at the Origins of Chianti in Gaiole, Italy, houses artifacts unearthed over the last half-century of excavations.

“Although we have had a number of special events and celebrations in Italy, we have not yet brought the celebration home,” said Nancy de Grummond, Distinguished Research Professor and the M. Lynette Thompson Professor of Classics. “The events’ programming will help us look back on these 50 years and take stock of everything we’ve accomplished.”

Cetamura first opened for excavation in September 1973 as a training site and academic course where FSU students learned basic archaeological and excavation skills. Five years later, in 1978, the experience transitioned from a class to a program. Known today as the Archaeology in Tuscany Program, the course is jointly affiliated with the Department of Classics, FSU International Programs and the FSU Florence Study Center.

The Cetamura settlement, located in the mountains of Chianti in Tuscany, was occupied by three major groups in its history: Etruscans and Romans in antiquity and Italians during the Middle Ages. FSU faculty, staff and students have studied the site, aiming to uncover the realities of daily life during each period by examining a variety of excavated artifacts, which range from water-logged grape seeds to pottery and coins to wells and the remains of a Roman bath.

“This program has been very successful in training students to become professors, field archaeologists and other professionals,” said de Grummond, who has served as the director of excavations and archaeological research at Cetamura since 1983. “Now, with the addition of a museum studies component, they have an extra arrow in their quiver with which they can enter the job market and have a very fruitful career.”

The celebration events include:

“Night at the Museums”

6-8 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 8

Dodd Hall Auditorium

Hear highlights from an exciting summer of work in Italy, beginning with the presentation “Excavating the Past, Molding the Future: Life at Cetamura del Chianti Through the Years,” which provides a fascinating look at life on the dig from a student archaeologist’s perspective, followed by stories from the inauguration of the Civic Museum at the Origins of Chianti. The evening concludes with a gala reception in the Dodd Hall Heritage Museum.

Join via Zoom.

“Cetamura Day”

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 9

FSU Alumni Center Ballroom

This conference, held 50 years to the day from the opening of the dig site Sept. 9, 1973, showcases the latest Cetamura site research by students, professors, and world-class lab scientists.

Join via Zoom.

Events are free and open to the public. Visit cetamuradelchianti.com for a detailed schedule of events and to learn more about the excavations at Cetamura.

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Florida State University is celebrating 50 years of discoveries at the archaeological treasure of Cetamura del Chianti with the inauguration of a new museum in the Tuscany region of Italy.  

Perched on a hilltop in the Chianti Mountains, the Cetamura del Chianti site was once settled by the Etruscans, Romans, and Italians of the Middle Ages.  

Fifty years ago, FSU students were granted a permit to begin excavating the site and have since uncovered a myriad of discoveries ranging from pottery and coins to remnants of a Roman villa and a medieval castle.  

To commemorate this golden anniversary, FSU students, faculty and staff participated in the inauguration of the new Civic Museum at the Origins of Chianti on June 9, in Gaiole. The museum will feature spectacular archaeological discoveries from 50 years of excavations at Cetamura by FSU.  

Nancy T. de Grummond, the M. Lynette Thompson Professor of Classics and Distinguished Research Professor and the director of Excavations and Research at Cetamura since 1983, has led generations of students to the site during the summer.  

“My big word would be satisfaction,” de Grummond said. “I feel very, very satisfied with all that has happened.”  

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A Florida State University classics researcher and director of the FSU Cosa Excavations in Italy has earned one of the nation’s most competitive humanities awards.

Professor of Classics Andrea De Giorgi was elected a fellow of the National Humanities Center in support of his project “Cosa and the Water Systems of the Roman Conquest of Italy (3rd–2nd c. BCE),” which focuses on the cultural responses to hydrological instability by communities across the Italian peninsula during the Roman conquest of Italy.

“It’s a huge honor,” De Giorgi said. “I’m incredibly humbled to receive this award. This is one of the most coveted awards and fellowships in the whole field of the humanities. I’m enthused about joining a group of very distinguished scholars at a place designed to accommodate deeper understanding, deliberative atmosphere and all the things conducive to good research.”

The National Humanities Center, founded in the mid-1970s, is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing study in all areas of the humanities. Since its creation in 1978, NHC’s Residential Fellowship Program has supported 1,558 fellows-in-residence, with scholars taking leave from their normal academic duties to pursue research at the center.

De Giorgi joins the 46th class of resident scholars and is among 35 fellows appointed for the 2023-2024 academic year from a pool of 541 applications. He is one of six FSU researchers to be named NHC fellows since 1981.

“We are delighted that Andrea De Giorgi has been selected as a fellow of the National Humanities Center,” said Christopher Nappa, chair of the FSU Department of Classics. “Not only does this fellowship bring attention to De Giorgi and his work, but it also represents a chance to build intellectual networks that will benefit the individual fellowship winners, their students and colleagues. This is the kind of opportunity that will bear fruit long into the future.”

De Giorgi’s project explores strategies deployed by communities in Roman Italy to mitigate environmental downturns and ensure the persistence of survivable conditions.

“Ultimately, my analysis enables critical insights and valuable comparative perspectives from across the Italian peninsula while also gesturing at contemporary plans to build healthy, sustainable urban communities today and in the future,” De Giorgi said.

Reliable access to water remains central to the functioning of Italian communities. Recent droughts and record low water levels in Italy’s longest waterway, the Po River, have forced the Italian government to enact water rationing. Incursion by the Adriatic Sea has led to saltwater burning crops and seeping into aquifers as well as contaminating clean drinking water, further aggravating poor conditions.

“Growing up in Italy, I remember looking at the Po River and thinking it looked enormous, like a monster,” De Giorgi said. “But this past summer, it broke my heart to see the water level so incredibly low. My research is rooted in an emergency that’s persisting even now. Italy and the whole Mediterranean are likely going to experience yet another very hot summer this year.”

De Giorgi served as co-director of the Cosa Excavations in the Province of Grosseto, in Tuscany, from 2013-2019 before becoming director in 2021. The dig site has been active since 2013, providing a unique environment for archaeologists, technicians, scientists, graduate and undergraduate students to dig into Italian history and historical infrastructure.

“Cosa, a completely waterless site, was crippled by this endemic lack of water,” he said. “We’ve been studying this community for a decade with a view toward understanding how inhabitants were able to cope with these limitations and build a durable water infrastructure.”

De Giorgi credits his success to the supportive research environment at FSU, namely the Council on Research and Creativity, or CRC, a part of the FSU Office of Research that provides internal funding to promote research and creative activity across all disciplines.

“The CRC has been instrumental in getting this project off the ground,” De Giorgi said. “I received their support as an assistant professor during my first year at FSU. Ten years later, I have publications, former grad students doing fantastic things, dedicated undergraduate students, and now I’ve clinched this extraordinary award. None of this could have really happened without the incredible resources provided by the CRC.”

To learn more about De Giorgi’s research and the Cosa Excavations, visit classics.fsu.edu.

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