HISTORY · ART · ARCHAEOLOGY
The ancient world, its people, and its places.
Zoe Ortiz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of History
University of North Texas
I'm a historian and archaeologist specializing in the art, architecture, and urban landscapes of Roman Italy. My work explores how ancient communities shaped public space and expressed memory, identity, and belonging.
Explore my researchRoman cities, memory & monuments
Studies of sculpture, architecture, and civic identity, centered on Gabii.
Read more ↗02 / PUBLICATIONSScholarship & writing
Research on Roman Italy, material culture, and urban transformation.
View publications ↗03 / TEACHINGThe ancient Mediterranean
Courses and approaches to learning about the ancient world.
Learn more ↗ACADEMIC PROFILE
About
Zoe Ortiz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of History · University of North Texas
I'm a historian and archaeologist specializing in Roman Italy, with particular interests in sculpture, public commemoration, and ancient urban landscapes. My research centers on the ancient city of Gabii, where I investigate relationships between monumental architecture, sculpture, and civic identity.
Selected Curriculum Vitae
Education & Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor of History, University of North Texas
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Selected Publications
The Forum of Gabii: Memory, Sculpture, and Urban Renewal (book manuscript in preparation)
“Reassessing the Sculptural Landscape of Imperial Gabii” (The Antiquaries Journal, accepted)
Grants, Fellowships & Awards
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Archaeological Fieldwork
Gabii Project, archaeological research and fieldwork.
Conference Papers & Invited Talks
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SCHOLARSHIP & FIELDWORK
Research
Art, memory, and the urban landscapes of Roman Italy.
My research examines the relationship between art, architecture, and urban space in Roman Italy, with particular attention to the ways communities used the built environment to construct and negotiate civic identity.
At the center of this work is the ancient city of Gabii, where I investigate how sculpture, public monuments, and architectural transformations shaped the experience and memory of urban life.
Sculpture, memory & the Roman city
My current book project, The Forum of Gabii: Memory, Sculpture, and Urban Renewal, explores the transformation of Gabii's civic center during the Roman period. Drawing on archaeological and epigraphic evidence, it considers urban renewal, public commemoration, and the individuals who shaped the city's monumental landscape.
Archaeology & fieldwork
My archaeological fieldwork at Gabii informs a broader interest in how ancient cities changed over time and how material evidence illuminates the experiences of their inhabitants.
RESEARCH ARCHIVE
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ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP
Publications
A chronological bibliography of scholarship on Roman archaeology, sculpture, and ancient Italy.
Ortiz, Z. The Forum of Gabii: Memory, Sculpture, and Urban Renewal. Book manuscript in preparation.
Ortiz, Z. “Reassessing the Sculptural Landscape of Imperial Gabii.” The Antiquaries Journal. Accepted for publication.
Ortiz, Z. “Nuove indagini sul Foro ‘Hamilton’ di Gabii.” In The Origins of the Forum and the Basilica.
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TEACHING & LEARNING
Teaching
My teaching explores the history and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, with an emphasis on Roman history, archaeology, and material culture. I encourage students to evaluate ancient evidence critically and engage with competing interpretations of the past.
Representative Courses
The Roman Republic
Political institutions, social conflict, expansion, and the transformation of Republican government.
The Roman Empire
Imperial politics, society, culture, and everyday life.
Women in the Ancient Mediterranean
Women and gender through ancient literary, artistic, and archaeological evidence.
Nazism: Symbolism and Archaeology
The political uses and reinterpretations of archaeology and ancient history.
For Students
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Contact
I welcome inquiries about my research, teaching, and opportunities for academic collaboration.
University of North Texas
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Recommendation request portal ↗FOR STUDENTS
Letters of Recommendation
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