Dr. Demetrios Brellas received his Ph.D. in Archaeology from Boston University in 2016. As primarily a zooarchaeologist, his research relies on the interpretation of animal remains from archaeological sites to understand the complex interactions between humans, animals and their environments in the past. His graduate work focused on the socioeconomic role of wetland environments and their resources in ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. In the past, he has conducted archaeological fieldwork throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East including Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Italy. Most recently, his research has taken place in Greece, where he is a part of several ongoing projects, which involve the analysis of animal as well as human remains. He is currently the team zooarchaeologist at the Molyvoti Thrace Archaeological Project and Field School (MTAP) in Greece, where he continues to research animal economies and particularly the role of sustainable wetland and marine ecosystem use in ancient complex societies.
Dr. Brellas also loves teaching, almost as much as archaeology. Before pursuing a graduate level career in archaeology, he worked as a K-12 teacher and tutor for many years. Everyone learns differently and educators therefore must not take anything for granted when we speak. Therefore, his teaching philosophy focuses on finding the strategy that works for each student by using various teaching tools. These include hands-on activities, multi-media and online sources, relatable personal stories, field work, discussion, and building on each student's individual experiences, which along with traditional instruction methods ensures that learning archaeology is relatable and works for everyone.
