Dr. Alison Rittershaus

Biography

Alison Rittershaus is a Lecturer and Curator of Anthropology Collections at Cornell University. Her academic interests span archaeology, art history, and museum studies, particularly focusing on material culture and its relevance to the past and present. Alison has experience as a museum educator and has taught middle school history, alongside her role in traditional college classrooms. She is dedicated to providing students with opportunities for object-based inquiry across a broad range of topics. As a curator, she is passionate about sharing the breadth of material culture with students, allowing them to critically engage with institutional collecting practices throughout history. Her research primarily focuses on the ancient Roman world, examining the relationships between humans and the natural world as expressed through art and architecture. Alison has been involved in excavation projects, including the Gabii Project near Rome, and is a member of the advisory council for the Mediterranean Antiquities Provenance Research Alliance, a nonprofit that helps students develop skills for conducting provenance research on poorly documented university collections. She is particularly interested in issues related to cultural heritage and the challenges posed by forged antiquities, such as small ceramic Roman lamps, which reflect the values influencing collectors and markets.

Research Interests