Home | Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology

Background image: Nemea

Image credit:

Ilias Kapa

Bringing the past to the present

Who We Are

The Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology is a research unit within the Department of Ancient Greek & Roman Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, directed by Professor Kim Shelton. We invite scholars, students, and the public to explore the landscapes, lives, and legacies of the ancient Mediterranean - especially in the Peloponnesian region of Greece. Through excavation, conservation, digital archiving, and public education, we fuse hands-on research with interdisciplinary scholarship—turning fragments into stories and vaults into gateways for discovery.

What We Do

At the heart of our mission is a synergy of archaeological fieldwork and campus-based research:

In Greece, we oversee four active projects: the excavation of the Bronze Age settlement at Tsoungiza, the study of the Sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea; the study of the Petsas House Ceramic Workshop at Mycenae; and the study of the recently excavated finds from the Bronze Age cemetery at Aidonia (TAPHOS).
On the Berkeley campus, our students and staff maintain the Nemea Excavation Archives—digitizing notebooks, slides, drawings, and artifacts, and supporting scholars worldwide.
Every summer we host an archaeological field school for undergraduate students where they receive training in excavation methodologies, artifact study, and historical contextualization.

Whether you’re drawn by myth and material culture or by the challenge of preserving fragile ancient heritage, the Nemea Center offers pathways for engagement, research, and collaboration.

Connect With Us!

If you’re intrigued by our work and want to learn more, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re a student interested in fieldwork, a scholar looking for collaboration, a Berkeley alum, or a campus community member curious about the ancient world, there are many ways to get involved. The most direct way to receive updates from us is to subscribe to our newsletter. There are also opportunities to participate in our research - both on campus and in Greece. Have we piqued your interest? Send us a message to learn more!