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Assistant Professor of Art History

Email: tstrasse@providence.edu

Biographical Information:

Professor Thomas Strasser earned his Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from Indiana University in 1992. He specializes in Greek archaeology, with special reference to Minoan (Cretan) prehistory. He has participated on excavations and other field projects in Greece , Cyprus and Turkey for over twenty years. After teaching in Turkey , at Dartmouth College and California State University in Sacramento , he came to Providence College in 2005. At Providence College , he is developing various classes in ancient art. In addition, he is getting PC students active in archaeological field project, including taking students to Crete to participate on excavations.

Current Interests and Research:

Presently Dr. Strasser focuses on two lines of intellectual inquiry. The first is a reinterpretation of the miniature frescoes of the Aegean Bronze Age. The second is a field project searching for the earliest (i.e., Palaeolithic & Mesolithic) human remains on Crete . His general research interests concern ancient sea faring, island colonization and its concomitant art.

Courses Taught at PC:

Art of the Ancient Classical World

Art History Survey

Introduction to Archaeology

From Abraham to Ramses: The art and archaeology of ancient Iraq & Egypt

Teaching Philosophy:

Pedagogy is passion. Though organization and clarity are necessary technical aspects of teaching, the subject matter must be close to the professor's heart. A teacher must take his/her subject matter personally in order to imbue the excitement of learning into the students. A lecture should be like describing a loved one -- emotional and sincere.

Selected Publications:

Strasser, T. “Stones of Contention: Regional Axe Production and Hidden Landscapes on Neolithic Crete,” in Crete in the Neolithic (Sheffield Studies in Archaeology), V. Isaakidou and P. Tomkins (eds.). Sheffield: Sheffield University Press.

Strasser, T. “Three Axe Groups from Neolithic Knossos ,” in Knossos : Palace, City, State (BSA Studies 12), G. Cadogan, E. Hatzaki, and A. Vasilakis (eds.), pp. 61-5. Athens : British School at Athens .

Strasser, T., and C. Fassoulas, “Granodiorite Axes from Knossos and their Implications for Neolithic Trade on Crete .” Aegean Archaeology 7: 9-12.

Strasser, T. “The Subtleties of the Seas: Thoughts on Mediterranean Island Biogeography,” Mediterranean Archaeology & Archaeometry , 3(2) 5-15.

Strasser, T. “Bothroi in the Aegean Early Bronze Age,” in MELETEMATA . Studies in Aegean Archaeology presented to Malcolm H. Wiener as he enters his 65 th Year (Aegaeum 20), P. Betancourt, V. Karageorghis, R. Laffineur, and W-D. Niemeier (eds.), pp. 813-17. Liège: Annales d'archéologie égéenne de l' Université de Liège.

Strasser, T. “Horns of Consecration or Rooftop Granaries? Another Look at the Master Impression,” in TEXNH: Craftsmen, Craftswomen and Craftsmanship in the Aegean Bronze Age (Aegaeum 13), P. Betancourt and R. Laffineur (eds.), pp. 201-207. Liège: Annales d'archéologie égéenne de l' Université de Liège.

Strasser, T. “Storage and States on Prehistoric Crete : The Function of the Koulouras in the First Minoan Palaces,” Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 10 (1) 73-100.

Strasser, T. “Archaeological Myths and the Overkill Hypothesis in Cypriot Prehistory,” Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 9 (1) 113-16.

Strasser, T. “The Boat Models from Eridu: Sailing or Spinning during the ‘Ubaid Period,” Antiquity 70 (270) 920-25.

Strasser, T. “Soils and Settlements on Neolithic Crete,” in The Pleistocene and Holocene Fauna of Crete and its First Settlers (Monographs in World Archaeology No. 28), D. Reese (ed.), pp. 317-36. Madison : Prehistory Press.

Rosenberg , M., M. Nesbitt, R. Redding, and T. Strasser, “Hallan Çemi Tepesi: Some Preliminary Observations Concerning Early Neolithic Behaviors in Eastern Anatolia ,” Anatolica 21: 1-13.

1992 Lax, E. and T. Strasser, “Early Holocene Extinctions on Crete : The Search for the Cause,” Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 5 (2) 205-28.

Broodbank, C. and T. Strasser, “Migrant Farmers and the Neolithic Colonization of Crete ,” Antiquity 65 (247) 233-45.

Cherry, J., J. Davis, A. Demitrack, E. Mantzourani, T. Strasser, and L. Talalay, “Archaeological Survey in an Artifact-Rich Landscape: A Middle Neolithic Example from Nemea , Greece ,” American Journal of Archaeol­ogy 92 (2) 159-76.