Jorrit Kelder

Jorrit Kelder (Hoorn, 1980), is a Dutch archaeologist and ancient historian. He is known especially for his work on Mycenaean political structures, and in particular his argument (first proposed in 2005 and elaborated on in a 2010 monograph) that the Mycenaean world was a single, unified state (rather than a patchwork of culturally similar, yet politically independent palace states, as had hitherto been proposed).[1]

Though his professional career is in academic policy and administration, he has held, and continues to hold, various (honorary) affiliated positions.[2] He was a visiting professor in Greek Archaeology at Ghent University in the 2019-2020 academic year,[3] a guest researcher at Leiden University,[4] and an associate member of the sub-faculty of Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford and a member of the common room of Wolfson College, Oxford.[5]

Kelder is a member of the Board of Luwian Studies,[6] a member of the supervisory board of the Teylers Museum[7] and serves as a member of the advisory committee of the Dutch Art and Heritage council, the Mondriaan Fonds.[8] He has been the recipient of various prestigious fellowships, including a fellowship from the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation and a Guest Scholarship at the J. Paul Getty Museum.[9]

Apart from his work on Mycenaean political structures, Kelder has published extensively on the Mycenaean world and its connections to contemporary civilisations, including Egypt and the Hittite Empire.[10][11]