Our New Excavations

Ali Ait-Kaci (Excavator) was born in 1966 in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. He studied Prehistoric Archaeology at the Université d'Alger, earning his laurea in 1990 with a thesis on rock art of the Kabylia region. Since 1990 he has worked as a professional archaeologist at the National Archaeological Agency of Algeria. He has participated in many excavations in Algeria and Italy, and has been field director of the excavations at Biskra.

Kimberly "Max" Brown (Excavator, Ceramics, Graphics) was born in 1968 and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania. She has participated in six excavations, including those at Cosa, Pompeii and Djerba (Tunisia). She is a whiz at computerized relational databases and runs a small graphic design company entitled Maximillian Design. Her contact information is: kmbrown@sas.upenn.edu.

Jeffrey Burden (Architect) was born in New York in 1960. He is currently completing a joint Ph.D. in Architecture and Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of California at Berkeley. He has excavated and published on numerous sites in Egypt, Greece and Italy. His research focuses on the work of architects and craftsmen in the ancient world. He is the Architect for the School of Classical Studies at the American Academy in Rome and Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame. Contact information: c/o American Academy in Rome, Via Angelo Masina 5, 00153 Rome, Italy; tel. from U.S.A. (011-39-6) 5846434.

Stefano Camaiani (Excavator) was born in 1972 in Siena. He is currently completing his laurea at the University of Siena in the field of Classical Archaeology. He is writing his thesis with Profs. Daniele Manacorda and Stephen Dyson on the Villa 'Le Colonne' near Orbetello. He has participated in over fifteen excavations, including Cosa, Roma, Narni, Torrita di Siena, Fabrateria Nova and Monteriggioni. He is now working on several publications, including one about the recent excavations at Cosa under the direction of Prof. Elizabeth Frentress of the American Academy in Rome.

Laura Cerri (Excavator) was born in Pesaro in 1974. She is studying Classical Archaeology at the University of Siena with a specialization on brick stamps and writing on instrumenta domestica. She has participated in over fifteen excavations, including Cosa, Roma, Segesta, Brindisi, Torrita di Siena, Fabrateria Nova and Monteriggioni.

Laura and Luca

Bernard Frischer (Project Director and Webmaster) was born in 1949. He studied Classics at Wesleyan University, where he earned his B.A. in 1971. He was a Michigan Junior Fellow from 1971 to 1974 and received his doctorate from the Universität Heidelberg in 1975. He was Fellow of the American Academy in Rome from 1974 to 1976 and Resident in 1996. He has taught Classics at the University of California since 1976. He has published many articles and three books, including one on Horace's Ars Poetica. His recent publications also include two studies on the Villa; see "La Villa dei Papiri: Modello per la Villa Sabina di Orazio?" Cronache Ercolanesi 25 (1995) 211-229; "Horazens Sabinum: Dichtung und Wahrheit," in Römische Lebenskunst, the acts of a conference in honor of the 85th birthday of Prof. Viktor Pöschl (Heidelberg, 1996) 31-46. His home phone number in the U.S.A. is: (310) 313-3739. His e-mail address is: frischer49@aol.com.

Zaccaria Mari (Excavator) was born in Guidonia-Montecelio (Rome) in 1953. He studied Classical Archaeology at the University of Rome and since earning his laurea in 1980 he has worked extensively in field excavation and survey. Among his publications is an extremely important article surveying the remains of the Licenza Valley; see "La valle del Licenza in età romana," in Comitato nazionale per le celebrazioni del bimillenario della morte di Q. Orazio Flacco. Atti del convegno di Licenza, 19-23 aprile 1993 (Venosa 1994) 17-76. His most important projects in the 1990s include: Corcolle (Gallicano), an archaic necropolis 30 kilometers from Rome, where he is co-director of excavations; and the Villa of Nero at Subiaco, where he is also co-director of excavations.

Giulio (left) and Massimiliano Muzi (Assistants) live in Licenza.

Silvia Nerucci (Excavator) was born in 1972 in Grosseto. She now lives in Siena, where she is earning her laurea at the University of Siena in the field of Classical Archaeology with a specialization in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. She has participated in over fifteen excavations, including Cosa, Roma, Narni, Torrita di Siena, Fabrateria Nova and Monteriggioni.

Luca Passalacqua (Excavator) was born at Scansano (GR) in 1970. He is currently studying Classical Archaeology at the University of Siena with a specialization in the use of the computer in archaeology. He has participated in over fifteen excavations, including Cosa, Roma, Narni, Torrita di Siena, Fabrateria Nova and Monteriggioni. His contact address is: lukpas@hotmail.com.

Pisone (Mascot) was born in August 1997 at Horace's Villa. He received his education in the field, learning how to climb into backpacks, squeeze into water pipes, and to disappear just when we needed him most. He will be attending the University of Siena in 1997-98. For his side of the story, click here.

Gianni Ponti (Field Director) was born in Rome in 1962. He majored in Classics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and earned the laurea in Classical Archaeology at the University of Rome. He is currently Vice President of the professional archaeological firm, Archeoprogramma, and has been field director of excavations at many sites, including Arcinazzo, Troy, Aphrodisias, the Palatine, and the Imperial Fora in Rome. Contact information: Via Innocenzo X, n. 29, 00152 Rome, Italy. Tel. from U.S.A.: (011-39-6) 5817101, (011-39-338) 876-6401).

Diana Raiano (Excavator) is a student of Classical Archaeology at the University of Rome currently living in Licenza. She suddenly appeared on the scene during our second week of operations, volunteered to help out, and was promptly roped in. She receives a 30 lode for her efforts and becomes the official founder of our Volunteers Group.

Antonio Roberti (Excavator) was born in Riofreddo (Rome) in 1968. He earned his degree at the University of Rome in Roman and Ancient Italian Topography with a dissertation on "On the Identification of the Sources of the Aqueducts in the Anio Valley." He has participated in many excavations for various universities and superintendencies, including those on the Palatine and in the Imperial Fora in Rome, at Salléles D'Aude (in southern France), Caen, and Guiting Power (in England). He is now working on an advanced degree in topography at the University of Rome and is writing a study on terminal markers in the Roman world.

Sandro Veronese (Electro-Magnetic Prospection) was born in 1950 and studied geology and geophysics at the University of Ferrara, where he received his laurea in 1976 and where from 1978-81 he was employed as a researcher. Since 1981 he has been in private practice as a geophysicist specializing in archaeological research utilizing magnetic resistivity and ground-penetrating radar. His major projects in the 1990s include: Altino, where he identified the plan of 8 hectares of the city buried under 1 meter of earth; and Campagnia Lupa (Venice), where he discovered two Roman temples buried at a depth of 1 meter. Contact information: Galleria B. Bernardino da Feltre 8, 45100 Rovigo, Italy. Tel. and fax from the U.S.A.: (011-39-425) 29133. Incredibly enough, Sandro doesn't have e-mail, but he has promised to get an account within the coming six months!