Beatrice Pestarino holds a PhD in Ancient Greek History from UCL (University College London). She is interested in the politico-administrative and economic systems of the Mediterranean city-states during the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods with a major focus on Cyprus. Her studies are conducted through the analysis of inscriptions (on stones, ostraka, clay tablets, vessels) written in different languages and scripts such as alphabetic Greek, Cypriot-syllabic Greek, Eteocypriot and Phoenician. Her first book Kypriōn Politeia, the political and administrative systems of the Classical Cypriot city-kingdoms is in course of publication (Leiden, Brill). At the HCMH, she is member of the research cluster ‘first encounters’; she investigates how the Mediterranean Sea acted as cultural bridge and barrier, and studies the socio-political implications of linguistic and cultural contacts among Mediterranean populations – particularly between Cyprus and the Levant – by analysing the roles played by Phoenician governors (SKNM) in the Cypriot city-states in the Archaic period, and the socio-economic connections linked to the technology of purple.

Since July 2022, she is research fellow (2022-2023) of the Center for Hellenic Studies (CHS, Harvard University) for which she investigates the Cypriot early Hellenistic strategia and the role played by local strategoi.  In spring 2022, as visiting fellow of the Crews project ‘Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems’ at the University of Cambridge (Faculty of Classics), she studied the introduction of the Greek alphabet in ancient Cyprus. She regularly teaches Classics in the London Summer School in Classics, organised by UCL (Department of Greek and Latin), and has delivered classes of Ancient Greek at RHUL (Royal Holloway University of London) as visiting tutor.