Jorrit M. Kelder works for Leiden University and is an associate of the Oriental Studies department at Oxford University. He has a background in Classical Archaeology, with a special interest in the eastern Mediterranean. For his PhD, he compared the Mycenaean state with other political entities in the Late Bronze Age Orient. His current research integrates textual and archaeological evidence, and focuses on i.a. (ruler) iconography, interactions between cultures and regions, and long-distance trade and exchange. He worked for a number of fieldwork projects in Egypt, Syria, Greece and Romania, and served as a consultant for various exhibitions.