Dr. Brett Kaufman

Biography

Brett Kaufman studies the peoples, states, and empires of the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in the context of the Bronze Age. His research fuses archaeological evidence with historical texts and Semitic inscriptions, examining ancient sources from the Old Testament to Greek and Roman classics and Viking records. This work provides crucial insights into Israel, Judaism, the Phoenicians, Carthage, and modern Middle Eastern geopolitics. His recent focus has been on the evolution of democracy in the United States, drawing from the governmental heritage of the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern societies. Kaufman has directed and supervised numerous archaeological excavations across diverse locations, including Tunisia, China, Italy, and Israel. He merges engineering design specialties with archaeology, fascinated with how technological innovation affects cultural trends. An archaeometallurgist, he employs materials science methods to analyze metal artifacts from ancient industries, yielding insights into the adoption of bronze and urban collapse. Kaufman is also interested in developing ethnographic methods to aid engineers in understanding the communities they serve. He is committed to maintaining academic integrity and addressing issues of academic freedom, supported by grants from prestigious organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. He holds a BA from Brandeis University and an MA and PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

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