Professional profile
Classical Archaeologist | Pottery Specialist | Archaeometry | Digital Heritage | Mediterranean studies
I am a classical archaeologist specialized in the study of material culture from the pre-Roman and Roman periods, with a particular focus on ceramic production and exchange networks in the ancient Mediterranean. My research integrates traditional typological approaches with advanced scientific methods and digital tools for the documentation and interpretation of material data.
I graduated in Archaeology at the Sapienza University and I have obtained my PhD from the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”. Since 2024, I have been affiliated with the Institute of Heritage Science of the CNR, where I hold postdoctoral research positions. I have gained extensive field experience in archaeological excavations both in Italy and abroad (Greece and Albania), where I have held managing roles, particularly regarding the documentation and cataloguing of finds.
My main research interests focus on archaeometry applied to ceramic materials, with particular attention to petrographic and chemical analyses aimed at reconstructing production processes and understanding patterns of circulation and trade in antiquity.
An additional area of interest concerns the study of material culture in sanctuaries of Magna Graecia and central Italy through the analysis of depositional contexts and ceramic assemblages, with the aim of investigating the role of artifacts in ritual practices and in the interactions between local communities and broader cultural networks.
At the same time, I work with digital technologies for the 3D reconstruction of archaeological artifacts, promoting new forms of analysis and dissemination for the sharing of cultural heritage. Within this framework, I am also interested in the application of artificial intelligence tools to archaeological data, particularly for the automated analysis of thin sections in ceramic petrography.
CNR Disciplinary Fields and Research Management Sectors
- SH6_3 Archaeology of early literate societies and early civilizations
- SH6_5 Archaeological Science, bioarchaeology, environmental archaeology, geoarchaeology
- SH8_1 Science and Technologies for Cultural Heritage
MUR Italian Scientific-Disciplinary Sector
- ARCH-01/D Classical Archaeology
Groups & Labs CNR ISPC
Digital Heritage Innovation Lab →
Publications
Highlight
E. Di Virgilio (2024). Hybridity and Exchange Models in Campania: The Case of Ionian Cups from Ancient Cumae. E. Hasaki, D. Elia, M. Serino (ed.), Technology, Crafting and Artisanal Networks in the Greek and Roman World. Interdisciplinary approaches to the study of ceramics, De Gruyter, pp. 357-364. DOI: 10.1515/9783111189635-029
D. Ronchi, E. Di Virgilio, S. Mele, M. Lombardi, D. Ferdani, D. Dininno (2025). Outside the Wall: Some Applications of TagLab for Semantic Segmentation in Archaeological Practise. Digital Heritage 2025 Proceedings, pp. 1-10. DOI: 10.2312/dh. 20253035
E. Di Virgilio (2025). Practical usage of water in ancient sanctuaries: sacred meals and cooking methods at the sanctuary of Fondo Patturelli in ancient Capua (Italy), in C. Laurenti, J. Dinges H2Oxford: Water Flowing through Archaeology, Proceedings from the 2023 Graduate Archaeology at Oxford Conference, pp. 87-100, BAR Publishing.
