About

Dr. Adam J. Aja is a museum curator and skilled field archaeologist, with a strong focus on the Bronze and Iron Age cultures of the eastern Mediterranean.

Since 2009, he has managed the collection of Near Eastern artifacts in the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, where he redesigned and rebuilt the storage facilities, planned and implemented new exhibits, and developed digital and replica gallery augmentation, while providing training and supervision to numerous volunteers, student interns, and employees. Dr. Aja began directing excavation teams on archaeological field projects in Israel in 1992, and has enjoyed numerous discoveries in the years since. Notable finds include a jar of dried figs at Tel Miqne-Ekron, the four-horned earth altar at Ashkelon, and the first confirmed cemetery of the Philistines. In addition, Dr. Aja is an engaging public speaker and teacher, with more than two decades of experience instructing students of different ages and learning styles.

Current Research

Dr. Adam J. Aja is the Chief Stratigrapher at the Tel Shimron Excavations in Israel, and is working on various publications related to his work on the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon, where he served as Assistant Director and Grid Supervisor. Dr. Aja has received attention recently for his discovery and excavation (2013-2016) of the Philistine Cemetery in Ashkelon and for his use of modern casting materials to recreate antique museum replicas.