UT doctoral student Anna Catherine Gibbs’ archaeology research took her to Italy and the opening of an undisturbed tomb from the seventh century BCE.

“It was beyond thrilling,” said Gibbs, who is pursuing a PhD in Mediterranean archaeology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “Despite being disturbed by flooding, the tomb was full of intact ceramic vessels, mortuary stone beds, and beautiful bronze and iron artifacts. It is so unbelievably rare for an archaeologist to ever see a discovery of this kind, as very few archaeological sites are truly preserved and undisturbed by human interaction.”

She chose UT for her doctoral studies because of its Mediterranean archaeology program through the departments of anthropology and classics, and its professors. Her advisors are Professor Alex Bentley in the Department of Anthropology and Professor Stephen Collins-Elliott in the Department of Classics. “They have both been extremely impactful in motivating me to branch out, exposing me to new methods and techniques, and guiding my research questions,” she said. 

“UT’s dual program is a unique and valuable opportunity for me to expand my expertise in both disciplines and to marry them into the kind of interdisciplinary archaeological practice of which I hope to see more,” Gibbs said. 

Read more about Anna Catherine Gibbs’ graduate research and contribution to archaeology findings.