Vivian A. Laughlin

Dr. Vivian A. Laughlin is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Classics at Wake Forest University. She is a broadly trained Archaeologist and Anthropologist of the Western Asia, Northern Africa, and Western European regions. Her research and interests hone the geographical receptions and transformations derived from North Africa, specifically ancient Egypt, that became wide-spread during the Hellenistic and Roman periods in lands located East and West of the Mediterranean. She was an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Scholar, 2021-2022, and a Fulbright Postdoctoral Researcher, 2019-2021.

Dr. Laughlin has three digital archaeology projects:

1. The Serapian and Isiac Trails
2. Roman Aqaba Project 2.0: A Legacy of Cultural Heritage
3. Sustaining the Cultural Heritage Legacy of Tell Nimrin

Amongst other scholarly publications, she is currently turning her dissertation, The Appropriation of the Hellenistic-Egyptian Cult of Serapis: A Multi-Disciplinary Study Focusing on Augustus, Nero, Hadrian, Their Coinage, and Villas. (embargoed), into a book.

Articles and Book Chapters

• Laughlin, Vivian A. 2016. The Architectural Patronage and Political Prowess of Herod the Great. JAHA 3: 13-24.

In Press:

• Laughlin, Vivian A. 2023. Hymnic Narrative of the Miraculous Deeds of Isis (aretalogy, IK Kyme-41) in Prayer in the Ancient World, ed. Eric Orlin. Leiden: Brill.

In Preparation:

• Laughlin, Vivian A. 2024. Rituals: An Introduction of Rituals and its Theories of Praxis. in Routledge Handbook of the Ancient Near East and the Social Sciences, eds. Jason M. Silverman and Emanuel Pfoh. London: Routledge.
• Laughlin, Vivian A. 2024. The Story of Isis. in Horvat Midras Excavations, ed. Orit Peleg-Barkat.
• Laughlin, Vivian A. 2024. Title TBD. Why Should I Care? Studying the Ancient World in the 21st Century, eds. Megan Lewis and Joshua Bowen. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Dr. Laughlin in the News:

• Media Release. 2023. Celebrating Black Archaeologists. Department of Archaeology, Durham University.
• Bond, S. 2023. Why Archaeologists Are Fuming Over Netflix’s Ancient Apocalypse Series. Hyperallergic.
• Bond, S. 2022. The Top Archaeological Discoveries of 2021. Hyperallergic.
• Zink, S., et. al. 2021. Auf dem Weg zur Rekonstruktion eines mittelrepublikanischen Tempels. Die Forschungen von 2020 am Largo Argentina in Rom. e-Forschungsberichte des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, 1: 1-7.
• Summer 2021. Scholar to Know, Pasts Imperfect.
• September 2019. 2019-2020 Fulbright Israel Postdoctoral Scholar List.
• September 30, 2019. Vivian Laughlin Receives Fulbright Award. Herald Palladium.
• September 25, 2019. Andrews University Graduate Wins Prestigious Fulbright Award. Spectrum.
• September 23, 2019. Recent Andrews University graduate wins Fulbright Award. ABC 57.
• June 2019. Graduate Research Spotlight. American Society of Overseas Research.
• May 10, 2019. Dissertation Spotlight: Understanding the Roman Appropriation of Ancient Egyptian Religion. Society of Classical Studies.
• July 31, 2017. American Scholar Examines Spread of Roman-Era Religious Cult. The Jordan Times.
• June 18, 2017. Vivian Laughlin, 2017-2018 Bikai Fellow. American Center of Research.
• April 19, 2017. FTE Announces Recipients of 2017 Fellowship for Doctoral Students.
• Fall 2014. San Miceli 2014. The Institute of Archaeology & Horn Museum Newsletter 354: 1.