Biography
I completed my BA and Research MA at Leiden University (Netherlands). During my RMA I completed an Erasmus Exchange at UCL (London).
I also received a grant to undertake a research project at Çatalhöyük, looking at figurine production and use wear. For this project I was nominated for the ‘Janneke Fruin-Helb award’ for most innovative research project.
During my studies I spent a total of three seasons at Çatalhöyük. I also completed one fieldwork season in Oman as part of the Wadi al Jizzi Archaeological Project (Leiden University). Furthermore, I am involved as a project member of Jebel Qurma Research Project exploring the archaeology of the Black Desert in eastern Jordan (Leiden University; 6 fieldwork seasons thus far).
Research
My main research interest is investigating the social dimensions of craft and production, and I am very interested in anthropological perspectives on craft.
This interest is reflected in my PhD where I reconstruct the life biographies of the figurines from Tell Sabi Abyad and Çatalhöyük (Turkey) in order to better understand both the technological dimensions of their production as well as exploring their use through use-wear analysis.
Furthermore, I am involved in investigating the corpus of grave goods from the Jebel Qurma project. In particular I am interested in analysing the large collection of beads looking at the materials used (and sourcing thereof), production and trade.
Key Publications
Arntz, M. and A. van Brakel (eds), 2012. The Archaeology of Violence and Conflict: From Prehistory to the Great War. Leiden: Sidestone Press (Graduate School of Archaeology Occasional Papers 11).
Arntz, M. and A. van Brakel, 2012. Bleda Düring- Fortifications and Fabrications: Reassessing Warfare in Prehistoric Turkey, in M. Arntz and A. van BrakeI (eds), The Archaeology of Violence and Conflict: From Prehistory to the Great War. Leiden: Sidestone Press (Graduate School of Archaeology Occasional Papers 11), 28-35.
Arntz, M., 2016. Figurines as functional objects: researching markings to get to figurine production and use. Çatalhöyük Archive Report 2016, 151-162.
Arntz, M. and A. Everts (eds), 2016. The Archaeology of a Byzantine City. Online exhibition. Leiden University, http://www.bijleveldbooks.nl/ResearchSeminar/index.html.
Arntz, M., 2017. Project: Figurines as functional objects. Çatalhöyük Archive Report 2017, 192-194.
Arntz, M., 2019. Meer dan symbolen: de figurines van Neolitisch Tell Sabi Abyad. Phoenix 65.1, 6-19.
Akkermans, P.M.M.G., M.L. Brüning, M. Arntz, S.A. Inskip and K.A.N. Akkermans, forthcoming. Desert tombs: Recent research into the Bronze Age and Iron Age cairn burials of Jebel Qurma, north-east Jordan. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 50.
Arntz, M., forthcoming. Beyond meaning: Employing an artefact approach to study figurines as functional items. A case study from Çatalhöyük (Turkey). LPCANE 2018 Conference Proceedings.
Teaching and Supervisions
2015: Leiden University, student tutor
2015: Leiden University, guest lecturer ‘The archaeology of ritual and religion’
2016: Leiden University, guest lecturer ‘World archaeology’
2018: Leiden University, guest lecturer ‘The archaeology of ritual and religion’
2018: Cambridge University, supervisor ‘Archaeology of Mesopotamia: Prehistory and early states’
2019: Leiden University, guest lecturer ‘The archaeology of ritual and religion’
Supervisor: Dr Augusta McMahon
Advisor: Prof John Robb
Other Professional Activities
2012-2016: Leiden University, student-assistant to professor of Near Eastern Archaeology
2012: Coordinator Leiden University Honours Class archaeology: 'The Archaeology of Violence and Conflict'.
2018: ThinkLab: University of Cambridge and Fitzwilliam Museum collaboration: “Please Do Not Touch”. Risk Mitigation and the efficacy of touching deterrents.
