Dr. Kaja Tally Schumacher

Biography

Kaja Tally-Schumacher is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Her research primarily focuses on ancient landscapes, archaeology, and environmental history, with a specific interest in the ancient Roman world from the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE. Tally-Schumacher specializes in the study of urban plantings, suburban, and rural gardens across Western Eurasia and Northern Africa. She serves as the Assistant Director of a joint project with the University of Bologna and Cornell University, focusing on excavating the largest known ancient urban gardens in Pompeii. Her work utilizes methods such as ground-penetrating radar to uncover buried remnants, and she has documented numerous features including planting pots and pathways within these gardens. Some of her notable research interests include the visualization of ancient environments, comparative environmental history, sustainability, and cultural heritage. Tally-Schumacher has won multiple awards, including the Daniel F. Austin Award from the Society for Economic Botany. She is knowledgeable in the integration of traditional archival research with contemporary studies of gardening practices, contributing to discussions on climate change, labor, and landscape studies.

Research Interests

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