Professor of history, archaeology receives two grants

David Pettegrew, co-chair of the Department of History and professor of history and archaeology at Messiah University, recently received a pair of grants to support research projects during a sabbatical in 2020-2021. 

A fellowship of $35,000 from the Loeb Classical Library Foundation (LCLF) of Harvard University Press will support the publication of an archaeological survey of the region of Corinth, a major city of ancient Greece. A Public Scholars Grant of $60,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will support a book project titled “The Archaeology of the Early Christian World: History, Methods, Evidence.” That grant is part of the $30 million in grants the NEH recently announced for 238 humanities projects across the country, funding humanities research, education and public programs. 

“The sabbatical gives me an incredible opportunity to learn and write about major topics in Mediterranean archaeology. My study of the Corinthia will translate directly into richer experiences for a study abroad course in Greece with Messiah students. The book on the archaeology of Christianity will provide a primer to students, the church and broader publics about how to think historically about archaeological evidence for understanding early Christianity,” said Pettegrew. 

— Staff report