Javier Alvarez-mon

Biography

Javier, a native of Spain, holds degrees in art history, religion, and Near Eastern art and archaeology, from the École du Louvre (Paris), the Graduate Theological Union and Jesuit School of Theology (Berkeley), and the University of California at Berkeley. Javier has been pursuing specialized studies in the archaeology, art and cultures of ancient Near Eastern civilizations for more than two decades. Within this field of studies, he has become a leading specialist in the archaeology, art and culture of the Elamite civilization (ca. 4000-525 BCE) and early Persia (ca. 550-475 BCE). In Javier's own words: "I am privileged to carry the flag of a discipline I inherited from the foremost world specialists, my mentors Emeritus Professor and art historian Pierre Amiet (École du Louvre in Paris) and Emeritus Professor and archaeologist David Stronach (the University of California at Berkeley). As a result, it is an integral part of my work to combine methodology and praxis intrinsic to the disciplines of art history and archaeology. Broadly speaking I am interested in the preservation, study and publication of the cultural heritage of ancient Near Eastern civilizations. More concretely, in practical terms my research can be said to be distinguished by having provided authoritative scholarship in three areas of study: (i) Delineation of Elamite art and culture, leading to the notion that Elam was one of the most prominent civilizations of antiquity; (ii) Re-definition of the genesis and cultural characteristics of the Persian Empire, nurturing and providing archaeological evidence for the notion that Persian civilization is the heir of Elam; and (iii) The development of new tools of artistic analysis for the understanding and appreciation of non-western art."

Research Interest

Civilizations of the Ancient Near East (ca. 10.000-323 BCE) Explanation and Theory in Archaeology Highlands and Lowlands of Ancient Iran Land Between Two Rivers: Mesopotamia The Art of the Ancient Near East Material Culture, Forgeries and Loot Dialogue of Civilizations: West and East