Staff profile

I specialize in the analysis of archaeological materials using archaeometric techniques, including ceramic petrography, scanning electron microscopy, XRF, ICP and X-ray diffraction. Although incorporating data at the micro-level, I am a landscape-oriented anthropological archaeologist interested in human adaptation to changing social, economic, and environmental conditions, especially as related to increasing settlement density. I currently run the Durham Archaeomaterials Research Centre (DARC) (www.darclab.com), an analytical research facility based in the Department of Archaeology that offers advanced chemical and materials analysis for academia and industry.

My research focuses on understanding the social and economic changes that accompanied the development of the first urban landscapes of the ancient Levant. I am especially interested in using a combination of archaeometric and landscapes approaches to assess changes in the modes of ceramic production and exchange that paralleled increased settlement nucleation during the Bronze Age in the Levant and what this information can tell us about the development and nature of early states.

I completed my doctoral dissertation titled 'Urbanization in the Levant: an Archaeometric Approach to Understanding the Social and Economic Impact of Settlement Nucleation in the Biqāc Valley, Lebanon’ in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Since 2002, I have participated in several field projects in Lebanon and Syria. I currently co-direct the Tell Koubba excavations (Koubba, North Lebanon) with Professor Graham Philip

I am a Co-Investigator on the Leverhulme funded 'Did British Tin Sources and Trade make Bronze Age Europe?' working with Dr Ben Roberts. I am also a collaborator on the Canadian funded CRANE project (Computational Research on the Ancient Near East: An Archaeological Data Integration, Simulation, and 3-D Visualization Initiative) with Prof Graham Philip. Together, we run a work package entitled 'Fuelling the State' which investigates through an experimental program the social and environmental impacts of increased fuel consumption on the development of early Near Eastern states.

• Ceramic Analysis, Ceramic Petrography, and the Application of Materials Science in Archaeology
• Archaeological Science
• Human Interaction and Environmental Impact on Ancient Landscapes
• The Social and Economic Development of Early States
• Prehistoric Levant
• 3-D Digital Imaging and Printing

Chapter in book

• Badreshany, K. The Pottery. In J. Kamlah, & H. Sader (Eds.), Tell El-Burak 1: The Middle Bronze Age: With Chapters Related to the Site and to the Late Medieval Period. (1). Harrassowitz
• Gutiérrez, A., Blake, H., Badreshany, K., & Hughes, M. (in press). The South European Pottery, 1250–1550. In S. Rippon, & N. Holbrook (Eds.), Studies in the Roman and Medieval Archaeology of Exeter: Exeter, A Place in Time
• Badreshany, K. The ICP-AES and MS Analysis of Middle Saxon to Medieval Pottery. In R. Brown, S. Teague, L. Loe, B. Sudds, & E. Popescu (Eds.), Excavations at Stoke Quay, Ipswich : southern Gipeswic and the parish of St Augustine
• Badreshany, K. The ICP-AES and -MS analysis of medieval and later ceramics from Buckfast Abbey and other sites in south Devon. In S. Brown (Ed.), Excavations and Building Recording at Buckfast Abbey, Devon, 1984-2017
• Badreshany, K., & Philip, G. (in press). Potting on the Edge of the Painted Traditions: Ceramic Regionalism and the Role of Craft Production during the Neolithic of the Central Levant. In R. Özbal, M. Erdalkiran, & T. Yukiko (Eds.), Third International Workshop on Ceramics from the Late Neolthic Near East. AKMED
• Bidwell, P., Badreshany, K., & Taylor, R. Pottery Supply in Roman Exeter and the South-West. In S. Rippon, & N. Holbrook (Eds.), Studies in the Roman and Medieval Archaeology of Exeter: Exeter, A Place in Time. Oxbow Books
• Badreshany, K. (2024). Byblos During the Chalcolithic Period. In National Museum of Antiquities (the Netherlands), & Ministry of Culture/Directorate General of Antiquities (Lebanon) (Eds.), Byblos: A Legacy Unearthed (53-58). Sidestone Press. https://doi.org/10.59641/z8124cl
• Badreshany, K., & Beeby, A. (2021). Analysis of Beeswax from a Roman seal-box and Pigments. In D. Fell (Ed.), Contact, Concord and Conquest: Britons and Romans at Scotch Corner. Northern Archaeological Associates: Barnard Castle. Northern Archaeological Associates. https://doi.org/10.5284/1078330
• Genz, H., Badreshany, K., & Jean, M. (2021). A View from the North: Black Wheelmade Ware in Lebanon. In J. Long, & W. Dever (Eds.), Transitions, urbanism, and collapse in the Early Bronze Age : essays in honor of Suzanne Richard. Equinox Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1558/equinox.37742
• Badreshany, K. (2019). A Comparative Petrographic Analysis of Middle Bronze Age Ridged-Neck Pithoi from Tell el-Burak and Ashkelon. In J. Kamlah, & H. Sader (Eds.), Tell El-Burak 1: The Middle Bronze Age: With Chapters Related to the Site and to the Late Medieval Period. (45). Harrassowitz
• Badreshany, K., & Schmitt, A. (2019). The Middle Bronze Age Remains in Area II. In J. Kamlah, & H. Sader (Eds.), Tell el-Burak I. The Middle Bronze Age With Chapters Related to the Site and to the Mamluk-Ottoman Periods. (1). Harrassowitz

Journal Article

• Gries, H., Schmitt, A., Tachatou, E., Sader, H., Katzy, E., & Badreshany, K. (in press). The Zahrani Regional Survey Project
• Nitu, B., Singh, I., Badreshany, K., Zhong, L., Henein, N., & Bryzik, W. (online). Effect of EGR on Autoignition, Combustion, Regulated Emissions, and Aldehydes in DI Diesel Engines. https://doi.org/10.4271/2002-01-1153
• Edgar, J., Gould, J., Badreshany, K., Graham, S., & Telling, J. (2024). Mineral abrasion experiments at Mars relevant temperatures. Icarus, 422, Article 116238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116238
• D’Andrea, M., Douglas, K., Genz, H., & Badreshany, K. (2023). The “Post-Urban” Occupation at Ḫirbet ez-Zeraqōn, Jordan: New Insights into the Early Bronze Age IV on the Northern Plateau. Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins, 139(1), 1-63
• De Groot, B., Badreshany, K., Torres-Martínez, J., & Fernández-Götz, M. (2023). Capturing technological crossovers between clay crafts: An archaeometric perspective on the emergence of workshop production in Late Iron Age northern Spain. PLoS ONE, 18(5), Article e0283343. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283343
• de Vreeze, M., & Badreshany, K. (2023). Identity and Monumentality: The construction of an Early Bronze Age landscape on the Lebanese coast. Journal of ancient Egyptian interconnections, 37, 109-134
• Tumolo, V., & Badreshany, K. (2023). The ‘Combed Ware’ storage and transport vessels from Khirbet ez-Zeraqon: a reappraisal of the EB II-III evidence in light of recent studies. Journal of ancient Egyptian interconnections, 37, 301-324
• Jean, M., & Badreshany, K. (2023). Egyptian Trade on the Central Levantine Coast During the Early Dynastic Period: A Ceramic-Material Perspective. Journal of ancient Egyptian interconnections, 37, 171-190
• Edgar, J., Gould, J., Badreshany, K., & Telling, J. (2022). Mechanochemical generation of perchlorate. Icarus, 387, Article 115202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2022.115202
• Coria-Noguera, J. C., Badreshany, K., & Sanz-Mínguez, C. (2022). Archaeometric Characterization of Pottery from the Iron Age Hillfort of Pintia (Valladolid, Spain). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 41, Article 103313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103313
• Badreshany, K., Sowada, K., Ownby, M., Jean, M., De Vreeze, M., McClymont, A., & Philip, G. (2022). The characterisation of ceramic production from the Central Levant and Egyptian trade in the Pyramid Age. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 41, Article 103309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103309
• Göttlich, F., Schmitt, A., Kilian, A., Gries, H., & Badreshany, K. (2021). A New Method for the Large-Scale Documentation of Pottery Sherds Through Simultaneous Multiple 3D Model Capture Using Structure from Motion: Phoenician Carinated-Shoulder Amphorae from Tell el-Burak (Lebanon) as a Case Study. Open Archaeology, 7(1), 256-272. https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2020-0133
• Kennedy, M., Badreshany, K., & Philip, G. (2020). Drinking on the Periphery: The Tell Nebi Mend Goblets in their Regional and Archaeometric Context. Levant, 52(1-2), 103-135. https://doi.org/10.1080/00758914.2018.1442076
• Badreshany, K., & Philip, G. (2020). Ceramic Studies and Petrographic Analysis in Levantine Archaeology, the Limitations of Current Approaches. Levant, 52(1-2), 5-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00758914.2020.1786270
• Philip, G., & Badreshany, K. (2020). Discussion and Conclusions: Ceramics, society and economy in the northern Levant. Levant, 52(1-2), 278-296. https://doi.org/10.1080/00758914.2021.1923176
• Badreshany, K., Philip, G., & Kennedy, M. (2020). The Development of Integrated Regional Economies in the Early Bronze Age Levant: new evidence from "Combed-Ware" jars. Levant, 52(1-2), 160-196. https://doi.org/10.1080/00758914.2019.1641009
• Badreshany, K., Philip, G., & Sader, H. (2019). New Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Discoveries fom Tell Koubba in Northern Lebanon. Bulletin of the Council for British Research in the Levant, 12(1), https://doi.org/10.1080/17527260.2017.1556936
• Schmitt, A., Gries, H., Tachatou, E., Sader, H., Katzy, E., & Badreshany, K. (2019). The Zahrani Regional Survey Project: Vorbericht der Kampagnen 2017 und 2018
• Schmit, A., Badreshany, K., Tachatou, E., & Sader, H. (2018). Insights into the economic organization of the Phoenician homeland: a multidisciplinary investigation of the later Iron Age II and Persian period Phoenician amphorae from Tell el-Burak. Levant, 50(1), 52-90. https://doi.org/10.1080/00758914.2018.1547004
• Badreshany, K. (2017). SEM-EDS analysis of residues from pottery from Wade Street, Bristol. Internet Archaeology, 45, https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.45.3.3
• Badreshany, K. (2016). Lebanon's Earliest Potting Traditions in Regional Context. Berytus (Beirut), 59, 5-42
• Blanco-González, A., Krieter, A., Badreshany, K., Chapman, J., & Pánczél, P. (2014). Matching sherds to vessels through ceramic petrography: an Early Neolithic Iberian case study. Journal of Archaeological Science, 50, 139-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.06.024
• Badreshany, K., & Kamlah, J. (2013). Middle Bronze Age Pottery from Tell el-Burak, Lebanon. Berytus (Beirut), 53-54, 81-113
• Genz, H., El-Zaatari, S., Cakilar, C., Badreshany, K., & Riehl, S. (2011). A Middle Bronze Age Burial from Tell Fadous-Kfarabida, Lebanon. Ägypten und Levante, 20, 183-205. https://doi.org/10.1553/aeundl20s183
• Badreshany, K., & Genz, H. (2009). Pottery Production on the Northern Lebanese Coast During the Early Bronze Age II-III. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 355, 53-88
• Badreshany, K., & Yanni, S. (2007). The Phosphorus Data from Tell Fadous-Kfarabida