Dr. Daniel Smail

Biography

Daniel L. Smail is the Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor at Harvard University’s Department of History. His research focuses on deep human history, with a specific emphasis on history, anthropology, and Mediterranean societies from 1100 to 1600. Smail is particularly recognized for his scholarship on court proceedings that survive from late medieval European jurisdictions, contributing to a nuanced understanding of legal history in that era. Some of his notable works include 'Legal Plunder: Households and Debt Collection in Late Medieval Europe' (2016) and 'Consumption and Justice: Emotions, Publicity, and Legal Culture in Marseille, 1264-1423' (2003). He has extensively analyzed records generated by medieval public notaries, with significant publications such as 'Imaginary Cartographies: Possession and Identity in Late Medieval Marseille' (1999). Currently, he is engaged in a microhistorical study of a formerly enslaved North African woman in Marseille, using lawsuit records to shed light on her history. Smail actively collaborates with colleagues in legal history at Harvard University.

Research Interests