Dr. Charlotte Potts

Biography

Charlotte Potts is an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, specializing in Etruscan Italic archaeology and art. She is a Woolley Fellow at Somerville College and has an academic background shaped by her education at Victoria University of Wellington, University College London, and the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the application of archaeology, particularly architecture, to reconstruct beliefs, institutions, economies, and societies as depicted in surviving literature. Potts has a specific interest in how the remains of ancient buildings provide insights into perceptions of the divine and the role of cults, as demonstrated by her work on the civic, social, and economic functions of temples in Archaic central Italy. Her scholarly endeavors challenge traditional divisions between pre-Roman and Roman archaeology, and she seeks to refine contemporary perceptions of early Rome. In addition to her research, Potts teaches papers covering archaeology in Italy from the Iron Age to the end of the Roman Empire, with particular emphasis on Roman art, archaeology, and religion.

Research Interests