Rate My Professor Chelsea Gardner

Dr. Chelsea Gardner is a Classical Archaeologist specializing in the history and material culture of ancient Greece, Rome, and the broader Mediterranean world. She joined Acadia University in Fall 2019 as Assistant Professor of Ancient History in the Department of History and Classics and is now Associate Professor. Prior to Acadia, she held positions at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu and Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. Dr. Gardner earned her PhD in Classics with a specialization in Classical Archaeology and her MA in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology, both from the University of British Columbia. She holds a BA in Classics and Religious Studies from McMaster University.

Her research focuses on archaeological exploration in the Mani peninsula of southern Greece, where she serves as co-director of the CARTography Project, a Digital Humanities initiative mapping routes of early modern travellers, and the Southern Mani Archaeological Project. She is currently authoring a book on the site of ancient Tainaron. Additional interests include ancient and modern cultural identity, ancient religious space, the history of travel, archaeological survey methods, women in the ancient world, animals and nature in antiquity, landscape studies, and Digital Humanities. Dr. Gardner founded and hosts the Peopling the Past podcast and produces free open-access audio, video, and blog resources on real people of the ancient Mediterranean world. Her teaching encompasses Graeco-Roman history, mythology, religion, gender and sexuality, Latin, and archaeological topics such as Introduction to Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean, Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology, and Greek Sanctuaries. She emphasizes hands-on learning, Digital Humanities skills, and community engagement through projects including student Wikipedia contributions and the Women in Antiquity collaborative website.