Amalia Pérez-Juez
Adjunct Associate Professor of Archaeology
Resident Co-Director of Menorca Archaeological Field School
Associate Director of Boston University in Spain

Education: Ph.D. in Prehistory and Archaeology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2001; M.A. in Medieval Archaeology and Art History, Université de Poitiers, 1993; M.A. in Preservation and Restoration of Architectural Heritage, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; B.A. in History with a concentration in Archaeology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 1992

Research Interests: Archaeology of Spain, regardless of the period. I am fascinated by history, and see archaeology as an interactive way to discover how people lived and related to the world around them. I am also interested in the dissemination of research, including how archaeological discoveries and information can be communicated through public presentation of archaeological sites. One of my main interests is cultural heritage management and how we can preserve archaeological sites for the present and for the future.

Honors and Awards: I have obtained a variety of scholarships to further my research in Spain, the United States, and France. I completed my master’s degree at the Université de Poitiers with a two-year scholarship through the European educational program Erasmus, and received scholarships from the Spanish Government for my doctoral studies at Boston University and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Excavations and Fieldwork: I specialize in the archaeology of Spain, and have participated in excavations ranging from the Paleolithic Age to the Spanish Civil War. My fundamental experience is in sites that range from the Spanish Iron Age to the Middle Ages, which represent an important period of acculturation in which the indigenous populations interacted with their new rulers. Cross-cultural exchange and interaction are topics that have always interested me.

For my master’s thesis, I excavated two major medieval sites in France. I have since moved back in time, to the Pre-Roman and Roman periods. I am currently working on a major research project, along with other Boston University Faculty members and graduate students, at the mediterranean site of Torre d’en Galmes, Menorca. This complements my previous research project near the city of Madrid: the excavation of the Late-Iron Age site of Cerro de la Gavia. The excavation of these major settlements shed light on the daily life of the inhabitants of Iberia until and during the Roman conquest. Trade, exchange, acculturation, resistance and other topics regarding the encounter of the two cultures are topics covered by this research (as well as the more traditional ones of architecture, agricultures, etc.)

The Torre d’en Galmes project in Menorca provides an incredible opportunity to investigate the relationships between people and their environment, as well as the effect of major historical events in the Mediterranean 2500 years ago. Through archaeological methods we can discern how the Roman conquest of Menorca completely changed the indigenous Talayotic people’s way of life.

Other research Interests: I am also interested in education and cultural heritage management, and have published extensively on this topic. I collaborate actively with the Atapuerca Foundation, supervising education materials, organizing exhibits and giving lectures about educational outreach.

I am currently the Associate Director of Boston University in Spain, with programs in Madrid, Burgos and Menorca. I teach classes on the History of Spain, Contemporary Spanish Culture and Archaeology and help students become acclimated to life – both personal and academic - in Spain. My academic life expands to other institutions at the graduate level, directing master’s and doctoratal theses in heritage management.
I am also a member of the major Spanish and European associations of Archaeology, History and Heritage Management and participate actively in educational outreach in various sectors of Spanish society.

Representative Publications
2006 Patrimonio Arqueológico. El yacimiento como recurso turístico
Editorial Ariel, Barcelona. Spain.

2005 El Cerro de la Gavia. El Madrid que encontraron los Romanos
Book chapters 2 (pp.35-62), 6 (pp.125-146), 9 (pp. 215-232), 10 (pp. 233-254), 11 (pp.255-268).
Museo de San Isidro de Madrid, Madrid. Spain

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