Trained as a sociologist and an archaeologist, my research addresses a number of related issues including nationalism, state formation, the causes and consequences of cultural violence, and the interplay between political power, material culture, and the organization of illicit markets. In order to investigate the capacity of cultural objects to shape social action, across my research projects I have prioritized comparative analysis of archival documents, images and objects, quantitative data sets, and original ethnographic materials.
For more information on my collaborative projects, please visit the CURIA Lab.
Ruling Culture: Art Police, Tomb Robbers, and the Rise of Cultural Power in Italy
Cultural Violence and the Destruction of Human Communities