Postdoctoral Research FellowDr. Michael Brown
Contact Information
Dr. Michael Brown
Karl Jaspers Centre
Voßstraße 2, Building 4400
Room 400.00.20
69115 Heidelberg
Germany
+49 (0) 6221 54 4359
michael.brown@hcts.uni-heidelberg.de
About
My research explores archaeological landscapes of Southwest Asia, from the Bronze Age through to Early Antiquity. I am particularly interested in the development of imperial geographies, which involves integrating data from archaeology fieldwork with paleoenvironmental and textual evidence. I am currently employed (2019-2026) in an ‘Eigene Stelle’ position as PI of my Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) funded project, ‘Parthian Imperial Control and Local Agency in the Central Zagros Highlands’, hosted by the Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie and the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies (HCTS). This project investigates Parthian-era settlement and society in the central Zagros region, with a particular focus on a major second–first century BCE settlement cluster at Rabana-Merquly in Iraqi Kurdistan.
CURRICULUM VITAE (EXCERPT)
2019–2026 PI (Eigene Stelle); ‘Parthian Imperial Control and Local Agency in the Central Zagros Highlands’ project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Heidelberg University
2017–2018 ‘Transcultural Forays’ fellowship; Cluster of Excellence - Asia & Europe/HCTS, Heidelberg University
2016–17+2018–19 Postdoctoral Researcher; ‘Rock-Reliefs of Iraqi Kurdistan’ project funded by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung, Heidelberg University
2016 MSc, Brewing and Distilling (Heriot-Watt University)
2015–2016 Teaching and Research Assistant; School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh
2013–2014 Postdoctoral Researcher, ‘Land of Carchemish (Syria) Project’ funded by the British Academy, Department of Archaeology, Durham University
2012–2013 Visiting Research Fellow, British Institute Amman, Jordan
2012 PhD, Archaeology (University of Edinburgh)
2005 MSc, Archaeology (University of Edinburgh)
2001 BA Hons, Leisure and Tourism Resource Management (Prifysgol Bangor University)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Brown, M., and R. Rashid. 2024. “A Possible Parthian-Era Anahita Sanctuary at Rabana in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq”, Iraq 85. doi:10.1017/irq.2023.6.
- Brown, M., and R. Dörr. 2023. “Die Bergbefestigungen von Rabana-Merquly”, in J. Marzahn and D. Wicke, eds. Zwischen Schwarzem Meer und Persischem Golf. 125 Jahre Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, pp. 146–151.
- Brown, M., and S. Amelirad. 2023. “Imperial Control and Highland Resilience in the Parthian Zagros”, in R. Bernbeck, G. Eberhardt and S. Pollock, eds. Coming to Terms with the Future. Concepts of Resilience for the Study of Early Iranian Societies. Leiden: Sidestone, pp. 209–226.
- Brown, M., K. Raheem and H. Abdullah. 2022. “Rabana-Merquly: A fortress in the kingdom of Adiabene in the Zagros Mountains”, Antiquity 96 (388): 920–936.
- Brown, M. 2020. “Carchemish and the Hittite Empire in the Middle Euphrates Valley”, in D. Lawrence, M. Altaweel and G. Philip, eds. New Agendas in Remote Sensing and Landscape Archaeology in the Near East: Studies in Honor of Tony J. Wilkinson. Oxford: Archaeopress, pp. 189–201.
- Brown, M., and T.J. Wilkinson. 2017. “The Euphrates States and Elbistan (Archaeology)”, in L. Ullmann and M. Weeden, eds. The Geography and Landscape of the Hittites. Leiden: Brill, pp. 110–121.
- Miglus, P., M. Brown and J. Aguilar. 2018. “Two Parthian Rock-Reliefs from Amādiya in Iraqi-Kurdistan”, Zeitschrift für Orient-Archäologie 11: 110–129.
- Brown, M. 2018. “Biological perspectives on Hittite brewing”, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 20: 596–601.
- Devillers, B., M. Brown and C. Morhange. 2015. “Paleo-Environmental Evolution of the Larnaca Salt Lakes (Cyprus) and the Relationship to Second Millennium BC Settlement”, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 1: 73–80.
- Brown, M. 2013. “Waterways and the Political Geography of South-East Cyprus in the Second Millennium BC”, Annual of the British School at Athens 108: 121–136.
