Research Focus within VOICING
As part of Work Package 4 (Survey on the sonic environment in natural ecosystems) of the VOICING project, Erica Angliker focuses on reconstructing the historical soundscapes of archaeological sites. Utilizing her strong background in Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology, specifically applied to the study of sanctuaries and ritual contexts, she is responsible for analyzing and mapping the components of the soundscape, including geophonies (environmental, climatic and water sounds) and biophonies (animal sounds), based on archaeological, literary and iconographic sources. Her role involves studying the interaction between these natural sounds and anthrophony (human sounds and voice) in performative and ritual spaces, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of sensory experiences in the past.
Biography
Erica Angliker is an interdisciplinary archaeologist and archaeomusicologist specializing in ancient Mediterranean cults, exploring human and natural sounds and rituals at Apollo’s sanctuaries. She holds a PhD in Classical Archaeology from the University of Zurich, an MA in Art History and Archaeology from Columbia University, an MA in Linguistics (Ancient Greek) and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Campinas. Her affiliations with international institutions as a research fellow include the Institute of Classical Studies and the British School at Athens, and involve promoting active collaboration between Europe and Brazil. Her affiliations in Brazil include the Universities of Campinas and São Paulo, including the Laboratory of Roman Provincial Archaeology.
As an archaeologist, Erica Angliker specializes in ancient Greek cults, religion and sanctuaries, especially insular landscapes and the Cycladic archipelago. Her research focuses on cult practices, sacred landscapes, ritual performance and the interaction between religion and the environment from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods. Her broader interests include the materiality of writing, travel and religion, caves and ritual practices, and environmental approaches to archaeology. As an archaeomusicologist, she explores ancient soundscapes and the sensory dimensions of ritual practice, including the role of music, dance and performance, studying ritual movement and votive practices associated with musical festivals. Recently, as a member of the VOICING team, she has developed a project that combines classical archaeology, environmental humanities and digital technologies to examine the relationship between natural and human-made sounds and their relations with ritual practices at sanctuaries of Apollo at Delphi, Delos, Didyma, Claros, Paros, Despotiko (Cyclades) and Bassae.
Since 2013, Erica Angliker has participated in the excavations at Despotiko as a scientific collaborator, with responsibility for the study and publication of spaces connected with dance and ritual performance. She has also directed educational initiatives such as the Brazilian Summer School in Greece (since 2017), guiding students through important archaeological sites at Despotiko, Crete, Andros and Thessaloniki, and fostering international exchange between Brazilian and European institutions. Her pedagogical initiatives emphasize sensory awareness, environmental perception, and deep engagement with archaeological landscapes and natural soundscapes. She has also co-curated photographic exhibitions on Despotiko and Brazilian rupestral art in Brazil and Athens, further promoting inter-cultural dialogues. She has organized more than 20 international conferences and colloquia and has been invited to lecture at institutions and events worldwide. She has published extensively on Greek religion and sanctuaries and is currently completing her first monograph, Cycladic Sanctuaries and Cults between Local and Global. She also co-authored the chapter on the Cyclades in The Oxford History of the Archaic Greek World (OUP, 2025).
In addition, Erica Angliker has co-edited numerous scholarly volumes on writing, cult practices, soundscapes, religion and insularity in the ancient Mediterranean. These include The Materiality of Writing (Brepols, 2023, with I. Bulthrigini), Soundscape and Landscape at Panhellenic Greek Sanctuaries (2021, with A. Bellia), and Cycladic Archaeology and Research (Archaeopress, 2018, with J. Tully). She also has six forthcoming volumes under contract, among which is Music, Dance, and Soundscapes in the World of Alexander the Great (Telestes, 2026, with A. Bellia).
