Academic Bio
Michael Johnson is a PhD candidate studying the metallurgical industries of Bronze Age Anatolia. His dissertation research focuses specifically on the technological repertoire of metallurgical workshops at the site of Tell Atchana (ancient Alalakh), their integration with local resource networks, and their social and economic position vis-à-vis the local palace economy. In addition to this research, he is also a member of the Anatolian Highland Metallurgy Project, which is focused on the examination of Early Bronze Age tin mining on Erciyes Dağ in the hinterlands of Kültepe – ancient Kanesh. Michael’s research interests include: archaeometallurgy, landscape archaeology, history of technology, craft specialization, geoarchaeology, Anatolian Bronze Age, Archaeology of Central Asia, and integration of archaeometric and anthropological methods. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Georgia State University, an M.A. in Near Eastern Archaeology from Durham University, and an M.A. in Near Eastern Art and Archaeology from the University of Chicago.