Eli Johnson-Visio ('26) Named 2024 Sardis Intern

The Department of Anthropology at Harvard University is thrilled to share that Eli Johnson-Visio ('26) has been chosen as the 2024 Office of Sardis Expedition Intern. 

Eli is a first-generation sophomore at Harvard College pursuing a double concentration in Anthropology and Neuroscience, via the Archaeology and Neurobiology tracks respectively. A former Egyptian hieratic papyri SHARP research fellow, and current Pleistocene lithics independent researcher, he will spend this Summer at the archeological site of Sardis, Turkey. Post-graduation, he plans to pursue a multi-disciplinary career in archaeogenetics. 

Considered a competitive and prestigious opportunity, The Archaeological Exploration of Sardis  (sponsored by the Harvard Art Museums) selects one undergraduate intern each year for its annual excavation season in western Türkiye. Sardis was a major city of western Asia Minor from the time of Homer until the Byzantine period, home of the Lydian king Croesus and one of the Seven Churches of Asia. The Sardis Expedition has been conducting excavation and research at the site each year since 1958. Current projects include excavations in the palace of the Lydian kings, a major Roman sanctuary of the imperial cult and its later transformations, and the largest arch in the Roman world; conservation and analysis of buildings and artifacts; research and publication of pottery, coins, excavation sectors, buildings, and other results; survey and 3-dimensional modeling from aerial photographs. The team of about 80 archaeologists, architects, conservators, recorders, and specialists comes from all over the world. The schedule is strenuous and the weather often hot. The excavation season lasts two and a half months, from early June until mid-August.

Our sincere congratulations to Eli, and good luck to all involved!

To learn more about the Sardis Undergraduate Internship: https://haa.fas.harvard.edu/event/sardis-undergraduate-internship-opportunities-summer-2024