Dr. David K. Pettegrew

David Pettegrew is a scholar of the ancient Mediterranean world who studies the transformation of local society, culture, and religion in the later centuries of the Roman era. He teaches courses in the subjects of Greek and Roman history, late antiquity, archaeology, digital history, and early Christianity. As a field archaeologist, he undertakes research in Greece, Cyprus, and central Pennsylvania. His current research centers on the study of archaeological remains on the Isthmus of Corinth, and the archaeology of early Christianity. Pettegrew also coordinates digital humanities activities on campus and collaborates with students and community partners on a range of public projects related to Harrisburg’s history.

Current Projects

• Archaeological study of sites and monuments on the Isthmus of Corinth
• Archaeologies of the Early Christian World: History, Practice, Vision, Oxford University Press, in preparation.
• Pyla-Koutsopetria II: Excavation of an Ancient Coastal Town, with M. Hadjicosti, W.R. Caraher and R.S. Moore, and with contributions by M. Andrioti, D. DeForest, P.N. Kardulias, S. Lepinski, D. Nakassis, B.R. Olson, and D. Reese, American Schools of Overseas Research Archaeological Reports, in final preparation.

Books and Edited Works

• Corinthian Countrysides: Linked Open Data and Analysis from the Eastern Korinthia Archaeological Survey, Grand Forks: The Digital Press at the University of North Dakota, in collaboration with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2024.
• One Hundred Voices: Harrisburg’s Historic African American Community, 1850-1920, editor with Calobe Jackson, Jr., and Katie Wingert McArdle. Grand Forks: The Digital Press at the University of North Dakota, July 2020.
• Harrisburg, Digital Public History, and the ‘City Beautiful’, editor with J. LaGrand, special issue of Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies 87.1 (2020). Articles available for download here. 
• The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Archaeology, editor with W.R. Caraher and T.W. Davis, New York: Oxford University Press, 2019.
• The Isthmus of Corinth: Crossroads of the Mediterranean World, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2016.
• Pyla-Koutsopetria I: Archaeological Survey of an Ancient Coastal Town, with W.R. Caraher and R.S. Moore, and with contributions by M. Andrioti, P.N. Kardulias, D. Nakassis, and B.R. Olson, American Schools of Oriental Research Archaeological Reports No. 21, Boston: American Schools of Oriental Research, 2014.

Recent Papers and Articles

•  “Washingtonia 1829: An American Refugee Colony in Greece,” with Kostis Kourelis, Nikos Poulopoulos, Albert Sarvis, and Alexandra Shehigian. Journal of Greek Archaeology 10 (in press).
•  “Mobilizing the Archaeological Report for a Future of Reuse: Linked Open Data and the Scholar-Led Publication,” with William R. Caraher. Journal of Field Archaeology (2025).
•  “The ‘Domus Ecclesiae in Light of Recent Archaeological Work: Dura Europos, Megiddo, and Messene,” Paper presented at the seminar Cristiani nel III secolo, Sapienza Università di Roma, Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Antichità, Rome, June 2025.
•  “Convivial Survey and Publication of the Corinthian Countryside: Lessons Learned from the Eastern Korinthia Archaeological Survey,” with William Caraher. Paper presented at the 48th International Mediterranean Survey Conference, Seville, April 2025.
•  “Mobilizing Archives for the Archaeological Study of Landscapes: Post-Antique Horizons from the Corinthian Isthmus.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, Philadelphia, January 2025.
• “Reimagining the Roman Empire’s Earliest Christian Buildings: The Case of the Domestic Church at Dura-Europos,” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, San Diego, November 2024.
• “The Christian Building at Dura-Europos: Rethinking the Archaeology of the World’s Oldest House Church.” American Journal of Archaeology 128.3 (2024), 341-79.
• “High-Resolution Survey and the New Quest for the Byzantine Landscape,” with William Caraher. In Beyond Icons: Theories and Methods in Byzantine Archaeology in North America, edited by W. R. Caraher, K. Kourelis, and D. L. Brooks Hedstrom. New York: Routledge, 2024, 1-37.
• "From Corinthian Twilight to the Busy Countryside: Remaking the Landscapes, Monuments, and Religion of the Late Antique Corinthia,” with William Caraher. In Korinth II: Das römische Korinth, edited by C. Auffarth in collaboration with S. Krauter, 365–390. Civitatum Orbis MEditerranei Studia, Vol. 7. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2024.
• “Raising Washingtonia: Rediscovering Greece’s Earliest Refugee Settlement,” with K. Kourelis, A. Sarvis, N. Poulopoulos, A. Shehigian, and K. Ganey. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, Chicago, January 2024.
• "Mapping Washingtonia, Greece's First Refugee Settlement,” with Albert Sarvis, Kostis Kourelis, Alex Shehigian, Brooke Rhodes, and Keli Ganey. Presentation at Central Pennsylvania GIS Day, Harrisburg, October 2023.
• "Reconciling the Past in Pennsylvania’s Capital Region: Place-Based Storytelling from the Digital Harrisburg Initiative." Presentation at Pennsylvania Historical Association Conference, Camp Hill, October 2023.
• “Dura-Europos and the Domus Ecclesiae: Revisiting the Archaeology of Syria’s Oldest House-Church.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Schools of Overseas Research, Boston, November 2022.
• “The Eastern Korinthia Archaeological Survey: Datasets of an intensive pedestrian survey and regional study of the eastern Corinthia, Greece,” with T.E. Gregory, D.J. Pullen, R. Rothaus, and T.F. Tartaron. Released: 2021-06-04. Open Context. 
• “Life in Abandonment: The Case of Lakka Skoutara, Corinthia,” with W.R. Caraher, in Deserted Villages: Perspectives from the Eastern Mediterranean, edited by Rebecca Seifried and Deborah Brown. Grand Forks: The Digital Press of the University of North Dakota, 2021.
• “The Eastern Korinthia Archaeological Survey: A Tour of the Legacy Data in Open Context,” Presentation for the 40th International Mediterranean Survey Conference (Virtual), 2021.
• “Washingtonia: An American Refugee Camp in Revolutionary Greece,” with K. Kourelis, in T. Papademetriou and N. Ganson (eds.), The Greek Revolution (1821-1829) through American Eyes. A Bicentennial Traveling and Online Exhibition, 2021.

Digital Public Humanities Projects

• Finding Washingtonia: a documentary produced by Messiah alumna Keli Ganey in 2025 about the rediscovery of a Greek-American refugee colony by faculty and students of Messiah University, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, and Franklin & Marshall College.
• The Lost Colony of Washingtonia: a collection of stories published in 2024 about the history and rediscovery of a Greek-American refugee colony on the Isthmus of Corinth. Created by students of Messiah University and Harrisburg University, edited by Messiah alumna Alexandra Shehigian.
• Corinthian Matters: a collection of stories and scholarship related to the history and archaeology of Corinth, Greece.
• Harrisburg Historical: a curated collection of stories by students and educators about the rich historical places of Pennsylvania’s capital region.
• The Commonwealth Monument Project: A collaborative community-based initiative of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism, a project of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities. The project, which includes a significant student component, celebrates the passing of the 15th and 19th amendments, Harrisburg's historic African American community, and the multi-ethnic neighborhood of the Old Eighth Ward.
• Digital Harrisburg: A website with digital exhibitions, oral histories, projects, and resources related to the history, society, and culture of Pennsylvania's capital city.  

• The Big Dig at the Stouffer Farm: Excavations of Messiah University's Historical Archaeology courses at a historic farm in northern York County.

• Ph.D., History, The Ohio State University
• M.A., History, The Ohio State University
• B.A., Anthropology, Greek, Wright State University

• Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations
• Ancient Greece
• Roman History
• Late Antiquity
• The Early Church
• Historical Archaeology
• Digital History 
• Digital Public Humanities 
• History and Archaeology of Greece (delivered on-site in Greece)

Greek and Roman History, Late Antiquity, Early Christianity, Historical Archaeology, Digital Humanities