[PUBLICATION] “Confluence of Research Worlds” podcast: Iryna Teslenko

Archaeologist Iryna Teslenko, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, is a fellow at the Collegium - Lyon Institute for Advanced Studies for the year 2023-24. She is conducting research on the notable changes reflected in the material culture of the northern Black Sea region between the restoration of Byzantine rule in Constantinople in 1261 and the Ottoman conquest of the region in the last quarter of the 15th century.

As a specialist in medieval ceramics, she is analyzing changes in pottery production methods to understand the history of migrations and particularly rich cultural interactions in this region, which is at the crossroads of the East and the West. Crimea, in particular, has been a territory of diverse encounters and cultural influences throughout its history, from ancient Greek and Roman times to the modern Russian, Soviet, and Ukrainian periods, including Byzantine, Goth, Mongol, and Ottoman influences during the Middle Ages.

Many historians still consider archaeological sources as secondary. Often, archaeological materials are used merely as an illustration of historical texts rather than as a source of historical information. One of the objectives of this research is to change this perspective by demonstrating the vast potential of archaeological materials, especially glazed ceramics, for the study of daily life, burial practices, economy, and demography in the northern Black Sea region.

In conducting this research, Iryna Teslenko collaborates with the ARAR research unit hosted within the House of the East and the Mediterranean Sea (Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée).