Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, associate professor of history and director of the Kurd Qaburstan Project, has received the 2025 Frank Moore Cross Award from the American Society of Overseas Research for her book Landscapes of Warfare: Urartu and Assyria in the Ancient Middle East.
The award, presented annually, recognizes significant volumes on the history or religion of the ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean, emphasizing original research published in the past two years. The award will be presented at the ASOR Members’ Meeting on Friday, Nov. 21.
Earley-Spadoni says she is grateful for the recognition and for the continued attention to research that furthers understanding of the human experience. “I’m honored to receive this award,” she said. “I wanted to portray warfare not as an abstract concept, but as something that shaped real landscapes and real communities in the ancient Middle East. Urartu and Assyria, the largest empires the world had ever known up until that point, organized their worlds around conflict, through fortresses, roads, and systems of control that affected daily life. It’s important to question what they gained and lost in the process.”
Earley-Spadoni has also been featured in recent press highlighting her archaeological and conservation work at Kurd Qaburstan, including Kurdistan Chronicle, UNC Magazine, the Greek Reporter and a podcast on the New Books Network.