From the Zagros Mountains to Arthur’s Seat
As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at IASH since September 2018, I have been working on my research project, ‘The Central Zagros during Late Antiquity: Socioeconomic Transition’. This project is an interdisciplinary examination of archaeological, anthropological and historical evidence regarding the socio-political milieu of Late Antiquity on a regional scale in the Central Zagros region. The 10-month long stay at the Institute has been a truly productive period for me as an early-career scholar interested in studying and understanding different cultures of various spatiotemporal horizons. IASH and Edinburgh are both perfect places for such an experience. The Institute is a real hub of brilliant minds with a fluid environment where new fellows join its highly multidisciplinary research body frequently. The staff have successfully provided a hybrid context for either intellectual or casual interaction among researchers that has been rewarding. In my experience, this environment proved to be thought-provoking and quite helpful to reach novel and bold ideas, and to approach my research from new viewpoints.
Besides the interesting programmes at IASH, from its weekly Work-in-Progress talks to various workshops and conferences, the University of Edinburgh holds plenty of opportunities to build new academic and professional networks. Accordingly, I have immensely benefitted from programmes such as the weekly Archaeology and Classics Seminars alongside those of the Late Antique and Byzantine Studies (LABS) Research Group.
Finally, there is wonderful Edinburgh! Holding the epic volcano of Arthur’s Seat in its heart, the city has a charm that attracts people with different interests and backgrounds. The built environment, natural landscape, urban planning and never-ending cultural events in the Scottish capital are just some of the reasons to fall in love with it – I have often seen former fellows coming back to IASH, as one would expect! By the last month of my fellowship, I have participated in two prestigious conferences, submitted two articles and my first monograph for publication, and my mind is in bloom, just like the flower in office 8 at 2 Hope Park Square.
Dr Hossein Habibi is an archaeologist of the Late Antique period. His research interests range from the archaeological landscapes of Sasanian territories to political culture and ceramics of this period. He holds a PhD in Archaeology from Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan, Iran. He has published in journals including Iranica Antiqua, Archaeological Studies and Ancient Near Eastern Studies.