Overview  |  Research  |  Grants/Awards  |  Teaching  |  Publications

My research and teaching interests focus on the emerging study of the archaeology of the Muslim World. This work was first developed while a graduate student in Anthropology at the University of Chicago and has continued as a member of the Joukowsky Institute faculty, and currently the University Library. More specifically my work has concentrated on understanding how Muslim societies have been shaped by the landscapes which they have constructed and conceived and by their relationship to the material world. A major aspect of my research has consisted of developing a methodology for bringing the archaeological and textual records into a productive dialogue about past societies. Additionally, my work has sought to understand the relationship of materiality to religious experience and the place of archaeology in the study of religion.

Download Ian Straughn's Curriculum Vitae in PDF Format

The Umayyad Mosque of Damascus