Morag Kersel
Professor, DePaul University
- mkersel@depaul.edu
- (773) 325-4434
Research Interests
Archaeology; Prehistory; Museum Studies; Antiquities; Cultural Heritage
Associate
Associate
The scholars and collaborators extending ISAC’s research community.
About
Morag M. Kersel is professor of anthropology at DePaul University. In addition to participating in archaeological excavations and surveys in Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, she is interested in the relationship between cultural heritage law, archaeological sites and objects, and local interaction. She has published a number of articles and is the co-author (with Christina Luke) of U.S. Cultural Diplomacy and Archaeology: Soft Power, Hard Heritage (2013) and co-editor (with M. T. Rutz) of Archaeologies of Text: Archaeology, Technology, and Ethics (2014) and co-editor (with N.J. Brodie and J. Rasmussen) of Variant Scholarship. Ancient Texts in Modern Contexts (2023). She is a co-director (with M.S. Chesson and A.C. Hill) of the Follow the Pots project, which was awarded the AIA Outstanding Public Service Award in 2025.
Education
PhD
Archaeology
University of Cambridge
2006
MHP, with distinction
Historic Preservation
University of Georgia
2000
MA
Near Eastern Archaeology
University of Toronto
1994
BA, with honors
Classics
Queen's University, Kingston
1988
ISAC Publications
2010
Series / Volume
Oriental Institute Museum Publications 30
Select Publications
Books
- Christina Luke and Morag M. Kersel. U.S. Cultural Diplomacy and Archaeology: Soft Power, Hard Heritage. New York: Routledge Press, 2013.
Edited Volumes
- Neil J. Brodie, Morag M. Kersel, and Josephine M. Rasmussen (eds.). Variant Scholarship. Ancient Texts in Modern Contexts. Leiden: Sidestone Press, 2023.
- Matthew T. Rutz and Morag M. Kersel (eds.). Archaeologies of Text: Archaeology, Technology, and Ethics. Joukowsky Institute Publications 6. Oakville: Oxbow Books, 2014.
Articles
- Morag M. Kersel. "The Moral Maze: A Duty of Care in the Twenty-First Century." Advances in Archaeological Practice 132 (2025): 1–16.
- Morag M. Kersel and Patty Gerstenblith. "Cultural Heritage and Security Policy." The University of Chicago Legal Forum (2024): 209–238.
Research Projects
Active
Kites in Context
The Kites in Context project investigates the relationship between Neolithic hunting and herding communities in the Black Desert of eastern Jordan. Launched in 2022 with support from the National…