Dr. Justin Leidwanger

Biography

Justin Leidwanger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Classics at Stanford University, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Oceans. His research investigates Mediterranean mobilities, interactions, and maritime heritage, focusing on the economic, social, and political dynamics that shaped communities throughout ancient history. His work includes notable investigations such as the 6th-century Marzamemi 2 “church wreck” in Sicily, which sank with 100 tons of marble architectural elements. He combines underwater surveys and 3D analyses with immersive museum-based exhibits. Leidwanger’s community-based research, 'U Mari, interrogates heritage and the interactions defined by the sea along the central Mediterranean. His scholarship bridges material culture and the socioeconomic implications of traditional practices like tuna fishing within maritime archaeology. He teaches a variety of courses on Hellenistic and Roman archaeology, Mediterranean heritage, and port networks, operating the Maritime Archaeology & Digital Heritage Lab at Stanford. Leidwanger’s publications include 'Roman Seas: Maritime Archaeology and Eastern Mediterranean Economies' (Oxford) and he is currently working on books analyzing ancient technologies of transport and distribution.

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