WESTRA, Alexander

Alexander J.D. Westra studied Scottish Ethnology & Archaeology (BA, University of Edinburgh) and Scottish Medieval Settlement patterns in the Lothian Area (Annales Method). He did his graguate studies at SOAS (School of Oriental & African Studies), focusing on the relationship between archaeology, art, and politics of Korea (MA, University of London). He co-directed the Yadlee Stone Circle Project, a landscape investigation on the relationship between astronomy and Scottish Iron Age Stone circles. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of the first archaeology student journal called ‘InSitu.’ He participated in excavations in Scotland, England, Greece, Turkey, and Romania. Currently, Alexander is a doctoral student at Henan University (China) and at the University of the Aegean (Greece), where he explores comparatively the archaeology of the Bronze Age, the ancient Silk Road, ancient Greek and Chinese science and technology transfers and environmental archaeology. He usually works in Kaifeng, China a the School of Environment & Planning, Centre for Yellow River Civilization & Sustainable Development, Henan University's Research Center for Hellenic Civilization, and the School of History and Culture, Department of Archaeology, where he teaches MA-level courses on Chinese and Greek Prehistory. He is also a student at the Department of Mediterranean Studies and the coordinator of the Research Center for Yellow River Civilization in Greece. Alexander coordinates the activities of the Sino-Hellenic Academic Project. He is also associate researcher of the Laboratory for Archaeologies and Sciences of Antiquity (ARSCAN - UMR 7041) - Central Asia Archaeology Team at the University of Paris-Nanterre, France and a guest lecturer at the Institut Catholique de Paris.