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David Pettegrew

David Pettegrew, professor of history and archaeology

Professor of History and Archaeology

Areas of Interest: Greek and Roman History, Late Antiquity, Early Christianity, Historical Archaeology, Digital Public Humanities

Office: 266 Boyer Hall
Phone: 717-796-1800 x 2738
Email: dpettegrew@messiah.edu

Webpage / Blog
C.V.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., History, The Ohio State University
  • M.A., History, The Ohio State University
  • B.A., Anthropology and Greek, Wright State University

Biography

David Pettegrew is a scholar of the ancient Mediterranean world who studies the transformation of local society, culture, and religion in the later centuries of the Roman era. He teaches courses in the subjects of Greek and Roman history, late antiquity, archaeology, digital history, and early Christianity. As a field archaeologist, he undertakes research in Greece, Cyprus, and central Pennsylvania. His current research centers on the study of archaeological remains on the Isthmus of Corinth, and the archaeology of early Christianity. Pettegrew also coordinates digital humanities activities on campus and collaborates with students and community partners on a range of public projects related to Harrisburg’s history.

Courses 

  • Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations
  • Ancient Greece
  • Ancient Rome
  • Late Antiquity
  • The Early Church
  • Historical Archaeology
  • Digital History 
  • Public Humanities Projects 
  • Archaeology of Greece (delivered on-site in Greece)

Current Research 

  • Archaeological study of sites and monuments on the Isthmus of Corinth.
  • Archaeologies of the Early Christian World: History, Practice, Vision, Oxford University Press, in preparation.
  • Pyla-Koutsopetria II: Excavation at an Ancient Coastal Town, with M. Hadjicosti, W.R. Caraher and R.S. Moore, and with contributions by M. Andrioti, D. DeForest, P.N. Kardulias, S. Lepinski, D. Nakassis, B.R. Olson, and D. Reese, in final preparation.

Books and Edited Works

Recent Papers and Articles

  • “Reimagining the Roman Empire’s Earliest Christian Buildings: The Case of the Domestic Church at Dura-Europos,” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, San Diego, November 2024.
  • “The Christian Building at Dura-Europos: Rethinking the Archaeology of the World’s Oldest House Church.” American Journal of Archaeology 128.3 (2024), 341-79.
  • “High-Resolution Survey and the New Quest for the Byzantine Landscape,” with William Caraher. In Beyond Icons: Theories and Methods in Byzantine Archaeology in North America, edited by W. R. Caraher, K. Kourelis, and D. L. Brooks Hedstrom. New York: Routledge, 2024, 1-37.
  • "From Corinthian Twilight to the Busy Countryside: Remaking the Landscapes, Monuments, and Religion of the Late Antique Corinthia,” with William Caraher. In Korinth II: Das römische Korinth, edited by C. Auffarth in collaboration with S. Krauter, 365–390. Civitatum Orbis MEditerranei Studia, Vol. 7. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2024.
  • “Raising Washingtonia: Rediscovering Greece’s Earliest Refugee Settlement,” with K. Kourelis, A. Sarvis, N. Poulopoulos, A. Shehigian, and K. Ganey. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, Chicago, January 2024.
  • "Mapping Washingtonia, Greece's First Refugee Settlement,” with Albert Sarvis, Kostis Kourelis, Alex Shehigian, Brooke Rhodes, and Keli Ganey. Presentation at Central Pennsylvania GIS Day, Harrisburg, October 2023.
  • "Reconciling the Past in Pennsylvania’s Capital Region: Place-Based Storytelling from the Digital Harrisburg Initiative." Presentation at Pennsylvania Historical Association Conference, Camp Hill, October 2023.
  • “Dura-Europos and the Domus Ecclesiae: Revisiting the Archaeology of Syria’s Oldest House-Church.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Schools of Overseas Research, Boston, November 2022.
  • “The Eastern Korinthia Archaeological Survey: Datasets of an intensive pedestrian survey and regional study of the eastern Corinthia, Greece,” with T.E. Gregory, D.J. Pullen, R. Rothaus, and T.F. Tartaron. Released: 2021-06-04. Open Context. http://opencontext.org/projects/bc71c724-eb1e-47d6-9d45-b586ddafdcfe
  • “Life in Abandonment: The Case of Lakka Skoutara, Corinthia,” with W.R. Caraher, in Deserted Villages: Perspectives from the Eastern Mediterranean, edited by Rebecca Seifried and Deborah Brown. Grand Forks: The Digital Press of the University of North Dakota, 2021.
  • “The Eastern Korinthia Archaeological Survey: A Tour of the Legacy Data in Open Context,” Presentation for the 40th International Mediterranean Survey Conference (Virtual), 2021.
  • “Washingtonia: An American Refugee Camp in Revolutionary Greece,” with K. Kourelis, in T. Papademetriou and N. Ganson (eds.), The Greek Revolution (1821-1829) through American Eyes. A Bicentennial Traveling and Online Exhibition, 2021.
  • “The Christianized Landscapes of Early Byzantine Corinth,” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, Washington, D.C., January 2020.

Public History Projects and Activities

  • Harrisburg Historical: a curated collection of places for exploring the rich history of Pennsylvania’s capital region.
  • Corinthian Matters: a collection of stories and scholarship related to the history and archaeology of Corinth, Greece.
  • “New Partnerships on the T. Morris Chester Way,” The Dauphin County Library System, March 6, 2023.
  • "Waking up to our region's history of racial injustice": Op-Ed essay, with Dr. Bernardo Michael. Penn Live, July 2020.
  • The Commonwealth Monument Project: A collaborative community-based initiative of the International Institute for Peace through Tourism, a project of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities. The project, which includes a significant student component, celebrates the passing of the 15th and 19th amendments, Harrisburg's historic African American community, and the multi-ethnic neighborhood of the Old Eighth Ward.
  • Digital Harrisburg: A student-driven website with digital exhibitions, oral histories, projects, and resources related to the history, society, and culture of Pennsylvania's capital city.  
  • The Big Dig at the Stouffer Farm: Excavations of Messiah University's Historical Archaeology courses at a historic farm in northern York county.