Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology Ph.D. candidate Darcy Tuttle has been awarded the Donald and Maria Cox | Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Rome Prize in ancient studies, one of the most prestigious honors in the humanities.
Her research explores how ideas of law and justice shaped Roman interactions with the deified dead. She is currently working on a dissertation that draws upon ancient literary texts, legal sources, stone inscriptions, and archaeological materials to illuminate the relationship between Roman law and the cult of the dead. Tuttle’s scholarship is further shaped by her experience as a field archaeologist, with almost a decade of experience working with the Gabii Project in Italy.
Tuttle spoke to the College of Letters & Science about her journey through ancient studies, love of Latin, time at UC Berkeley, and hopes for the upcoming residency at the American Academy in Rome.
Tell us about your academic background and your time at Berkeley. What led you to pursue ancient history and Mediterranean archaeology, and what moments stand out most from your experience so far?
Darcy Tuttle: I’ve loved reading about the ancient Mediterranean world since I was in grade school. I majored in Classical Civilizations as an undergrad, but at the time I wasn’t sure I’d make a career out of it — I even considered law school and briefly worked at a law firm. But I missed Latin and archaeology too much! Eventually, I applied to grad school, and my mentors encouraged me to consider Berkeley. I feel incredibly lucky to be here.
The Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology program is truly unique. It’s one of the few places where I can integrate Roman history and archaeology without having to choose between them. The campus resources — like the Hearst Museum and Berkeley’s library collections — and the incredibly supportive faculty and grad student community have made it an ideal environment for my research. In particular, the members of my dissertation committee (Professors Duncan MacRae, Carlos Noreña, Lisa Pieraccini, and Erich Gruen) have all provided fantastic mentorship throughout my time here.
The undergraduates at Berkeley have also pushed me to think about the ancient world in new ways. In fact, one of my favorite memories from my time here involves the students in the first introductory Latin class I taught. We were studying ancient Roman graffiti, and I invited students to practice their Latin by writing their own Latin “graffiti” using sidewalk chalk. It was an optional activity, but so many showed up and were genuinely excited. They were curious and enthusiastic about understanding the nuances of the ancient Roman world - they didn’t just want to learn about famous monuments like the Colosseum, but they also wanted to reconstruct the daily lives of regular people. Berkeley undergrads ask wonderful questions that have frequently pushed me to think more deeply about various aspects of the past.
What does receiving the Rome Prize mean to you at this stage in your academic journey?
Darcy Tuttle: I’ve known about the Rome Prize for years — it’s something I’ve long admired, but I never expected to be selected. It’s an incredible honor, and I’m deeply grateful. The Academy’s focus on interdisciplinarity is especially exciting to me. I think it will challenge me to ask bigger questions, push my dissertation
forward, and help generate new directions for future research.
How has Berkeley shaped your growth as a researcher?
Darcy Tuttle: Berkeley has encouraged me to explore broadly. I’ve taken courses in art history and studied topics beyond my core focus, like Central Asian archaeology. I’ve also worked with Professor Paulo Montero (Civil and Environmental Engineering) on ancient Roman concrete — something I never thought I’d study! These interdisciplinary opportunities have profoundly shaped the way I approach ancient studies and have opened up unexpected collaborations and research directions.
How do you hope your time in Rome will influence your future work as a scholar or educator?
Darcy Tuttle: I’m keeping an open mind. I’ve heard from past fellows that the most meaningful experiences are often unexpected — a conversation, an inexplicable monument, or something you stumble upon in a museum. I’m especially excited to connect with people outside my discipline, like landscape architects and visual artists. Since my research explores cemetery layouts and funerary monuments, I know their insights will help me think differently and enrich my interpretations of commemorative space. I hope these collaborations — and the friendships that come from them — will ultimately make me a better teacher and scholar.
I’m also thrilled to be on-site, physically engaging with cemeteries I’ve only encountered in books. Seeing them in three dimensions will offer invaluable context, especially for a dissertation chapter that focuses on cemeteries around Rome. More broadly, I know the time in Rome will shape my research for years to come.
And I just want to say how deeply grateful I am to the faculty, students, and community at Berkeley. I couldn’t have received this opportunity without the support and inspiration I’ve found here. I’m proud to represent Berkeley Humanities on this journey, and I’m excited to carry everything I’ve learned into this next chapter.
What advice would you give to students interested in ancient studies or the humanities more broadly?
Darcy Tuttle: Follow what truly interests you, not what you think will sound impressive. That passion will keep you grounded and motivated, especially during long and sometimes unpredictable research journeys. Be open to unexpected paths, because sometimes the best projects arise from surprising circumstances. For example, my M.A. thesis originated in the early COVID lockdowns. Just prior to campus shutting down, I had been assigned a seminar presentation on the Tomb of the Scipios in Rome. I still had the books I’d used to prepare in my apartment when the campus (and libraries) closed indefinitely. With limited access to new resources, I spent more time engaging with these materials and ended up writing my thesis on this tomb. This project became the foundation for my dissertation. I hadn’t originally intended to study funerary archaeology, but it became an intellectual refuge during a difficult time. Now my dissertation builds on those same themes—exploring cemeteries and the Roman cult of the dead in a slightly later period (from the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE).