The American Institute of Irish Archaeology is a collaborative group of researchers who share in two objectives: first, we seek to make Irish archaeology more approachable to a wider audience (in the United States and Ireland), and, second, we focus on training the next generation of scholars who are keen to bring their enthusiasm and ideas to Irish archaeology.
Thomas Finan, PhD, FSA, Director
Thomas Finan is Director of AIIA and has published widely on the history and archaeology of medieval Roscommon. His is an assistant professor in the Department of History and Associate Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and a member of the Chateau Gaillard Castle Studies Colloque.
John Kelly, PhD (Senior Lecturer, Washington University Center for Archaeology, St. Louis)
John Kelly’s expertise lies in the archaeology of the Mississippian mounds of the mid-western United States. He has been the director of excavations at Cahokia Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since 1972. Recently he has directed a large scale excavation of a second mound area in East St. Louis that was thought to have been destroyed by twentieth century industrial activity.
Thomas Madden, PhD (Professor of Medieval History, Saint Louis University)
Tom Madden’s primary academic research interest is the history and culture of the Mediterranean world. The bulk of his scholarly publications have focused on the crusading movement, the medieval republic of Venice, and the interaction between the cultures of Latin Christendom, the Byzantine Empire, and the Muslim Middle East. His is a 2012-13 Guggenheim Fellow, and was recently elected Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America.
Kieran O Conor, PhD (Lecturer, National University of Ireland-Galway)
Kieran O Conor has published widely on the fortifications and churches of medieval Gaelic Ireland. His Archaeology of Medieval Rural Settlement in Ireland set the research agenda for Gaelic rural archaeology in Ireland for over a decade. Dr. O Conor is also an NEH Visiting Scholar at Saint Louis University in 2013.
Jason Organ, PhD (Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Indiana University
Jason Organ is assistant professor of Anatomy at Indiana University. His area of expertise is the analysis of motion in humans and primates through the study of bone, dental, and muscular physiology. He has brought his dental-microwear expertise to the study of the human remains at Kilteasheen.
