Dr Laura Alvarez

I am an archaeologist specialising in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (broadly, 2000-800 BCE). I obtained my PhD from the Free University of Brussels in conjunction with the University of Paris 1-Panthéon Sorbonne in 2021, in which I studied ancient metallurgy and mirrors in the Aegean area, utilising these artefacts and practices to conceptualise the circulation and transformation of objects and contexts in terms of trade routes, cultural influences, mobility, and relationships.

I first joined Cambridge as a Sidney Sussex College Research Associate and Wiener-Anspach Visiting Scholar to examine the circulation of metal mirrors and related technologies within, to, and from Cyprus, exploring the island's insularity and connectivity during the Bronze Age (1600-1100 BCE). My research investigated the mechanisms behind cultural proximities and their effects on social environments, as well as how individuals and social groups engaged with, instigated, and experienced cultural exchanges. The analysis of interactions with the Near Eastern coastal areas (Syria, Lebanon, Israel-Palestine), which reflects the interconnected nature of the Mediterranean, also led me to explore mirrors from those regions, supported by the William Lameere Grant (Free University of Brussels) and the philanthropic Goldwasser Foundation. In 2023, I was awarded the Michael Ventris Memorial Award.

At Cambridge, while working on mirrors, I became interested in understanding the sensory experiences of people who lived in the Aegean in the second-millennium BCE, specifically how they created and interacted with artifacts, images, and visually translated their experiences within their environments, which is my current research focus.