Doctoral Candidate Mona Bagheri Ghaleh

Mona Bagheri Ghaleh is a PhD student in Near Eastern Archaeology at the Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie at the University of Heidelberg. She is also a member of the Heidelberg Graduate School for Humanities and Social Sciences (HGGS). Mona holds a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology from the University of Tehran, Iran, and completed her master's degree in Quaternary, Prehistory, and Archaeology at the Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Italy.

Her PhD research focuses on reconstructing a trade route from Southwest Iran to Northeast Iran in the Seleucid-Parthian Era through the distribution of small turquoise-green clay amphorae. By utilizing advanced archaeological analysis techniques, she aims to determine the origins of the amphorae, their function, and the cultural significance associated with these artifacts. Her doctoral project is supervised by Prof. Dr. Aaron Schmitt (University of Heidelberg) and Prof. Carmella Vaccaro (Università degli Studi di Ferrara).

Mona's research experience includes a research stay at the Università degli Studi di Ferrara, where she will conduct Archaeometrical analyses using techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, SEM-EDX, XRD, and XRF to study the residual remains inside the amphorae and the Parthian glaze. This interdisciplinary and collaborative approach underscores her commitment to deepening the understanding of ancient trade networks (Silk Road), cultural interactions, and economic dynamics during the Seleucid-Parthian era.