Talia Neelis

Education

B.A. in Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, Minor in Art History, University of British Columbia 2025

Areas of Interest

Archaeology of Cyprus (2nd and 3rd millennia BCE), cross-craft interaction, ecology, materiality, communities of practice, multispecies studies.

Profile

Talia Neelis is pursuing a PhD at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology with a focus in prehistoric Cypriot archaeology. Her research examines cross-craft interaction in Philia Phase and Bronze Age Cyprus (c. 2450 - 1300 BCE), where she investigates how crafting processes facilitated enduring ecocultural relationships between human communities of practice and their environments. Her research spans archaeometric methodologies, ecopolitical and feminist epistemologies, and the archaeology and ethnography of both the Aegean and Southwest Asia. She has excavated at various sites in Cyprus and Greece, and hopes to continue excavating in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond. Talia is currently the Public Outreach Coordinator for the Cotsen Institute and holds a BA in Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies with a minor in Art History from the University of British Columbia. 

Field Experience

• Kalavasos and Maroni Built Environments Project, Cyprus 

• Kissonerga Skalia Archaeological Project, Cyprus 

• Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project, Greece 

• Sikyon Archaeological Project, Greece 

Advisors

David Schneller, Aaron Burke