Home \ Faculty Details \ Antonino Crisà
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  • Phone:

  • Email:

    acrisa@pmu.edu.sa

  • Office No:

    F-130

  • Antonino Crisà

  • Job Title :

    Assistant Professor

  • College :

    College of Sciences and Human Studies


  • Department :

    Humanities & Social Sciences


Antonino ‘Nino’ Crisà is an Italian archaeologist, historian and numismatist with a strong academic record and several skills in teaching, coin cataloging, archival research and 3-year experience in commercial archaeology. Dr. Crisà has been trained at the University of Milan and Leicester where he obtained his PhD Archaeology (2015) working as a ‘Classics Teaching Assistant’. He worked as a ‘Research Fellow’ at the University of Warwick, exploring ancient token production in Hellenistic and Roman Sicily (ERC project: Token Communities in the Ancient Mediterranean) (2016-19). Dr. Crisà has just completed his highly-competitive Marie Curie Skłodowska Fellowship at Ghent University (Cultural Heritage in Danger: Archaeology and Communities in Sicily during the Second World War (1940–45)) (2019-22). As a field archaeologist, he excavated in Italy (Lombardy, Sardinia, Sicily and Veneto) and Syria (Palmyra).

His substantial publications explore numismatics and the history of archaeology and cultural heritage in Italy between late nineteenth and early twentieth century (antiquarianism, coin collectors, excavations, museum collections and community archaeology) through the analysis of unpublished archival records. Two books convey this long-standing research on the Bourbon (1816-60) and post-Unification (1861-1918) periods in Sicily; a third monograph on World War 2 archaeology is forthcoming (Codename SICILYWAR). He also edited two volumes on ancient and modern tokens.

Dr. Crisà has obtained the following international awards: Italian “National Competition for Young Numismatists” (Cronaca Numismatica) (Vicenza 2006); “Memmo Cagiati” Prize for excellent numismatic essays at the XV International Numismatic Congress (Taormina 2015); “Prue and Arthur Fitts Literary Award for Ancient and Medieval Coinage Studies”, American Numismatic Association (The Numismatist) (Chicago 2021).

With a teaching philosophy promoting interdisciplinary connections, Dr. Crisà hopes to enhance the Humanities teaching offer at PMU implementing new courses on archaeology and cultural heritage studies.

2004 Bachelor in Classics & Humanities (University of Milan)

2007 Master in Archaeology (University of Milan)

2010 Specialization in Classical Archaeology (post lauream 3-year course) (University of Milan)

2015 PhD Archaeology (University of Leicester)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

For a more detailed list of publications see: https://www.antoninocrisa.com/publications.

Books:

  1. Crisà A., Codename SICILYWAR: Archaeology, Museums and Social Networks Under Threat in Sicily during World War 2, Oxford: Archaeopress (forthcoming 2023).
  2. Crisà A., When Archaeology Meets Communities: Impacting Interactions in Northern Sicily Over Two Eras (Messina, 1861-1918), Oxford: Archaeopress 2018 (ISBN 1784917915).
  3. Crisà A., Numismatic and Archaeological Collecting in Northern Sicily during the First Half of the Nineteenth Century, Oxford: British Archaeological Reports (International Series 2411) 2012 (ISBN 1407310097).

Edited volumes:

  1. Crisà A. (ed.), Tokens, Value and Identity: Exploring Monetiform Objects in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Bruxelles: Centre d’Études Numismatiques (Travaux CEN 22) 2021 (ISBN 9782930948096).
  2. Crisà A., Gkikaki M. and Rowan C. (eds.), Tokens: Culture, Connections, Communities. London: Royal Numismatic Society 2019 (ISBN 0901405353).

Book chapters:

  1. Crisà A., Le monete di Palazzo Sanvitale, in C. Calvani (ed.), Gli scavi di Palazzo Sanvitale a Parma (1980-1990), Oxford: Archaeopress 2023: 157–213.
  2. Crisà A., New Hellenistic and Roman clay tokens from Sicily: some case studies from the Museum of Palermo, in M. Gkikaki (ed.), Tokens in Classical Athens: Politics, Communities and Contexts. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press (forthcoming 2024).
  3. Crisà A., Archaeology, networks and authorities in a state of war: the ‘4-level system’ in Sicily (1939-43), in B. Arnold (ed.), Connecting People and Ideas: Networks and Networking in the History of Archaeology. New York: Springer (forthcoming 2023).
  4. Crisà A., Lanza S. and Randazzo G., Chapter 7: The Historical Evolution of the Tindari-Marinello Spit (Patti, Messina, Italy), in G. Randazzo, D. Jackson and A. Cooper (eds.), Sand and Gravel Spits. London: Springer 2015: 103–21.

Articles:

  1. Crisà A. and Palmieri L., The «Calvatone Hoard 2018» (Cremona, Italy): Archaeology and hoarding trends during the reign of Gallienus (AD (253-268), “FOLD&R: The Journal of Fasti On-Line” 2023 (https://www.fastionline.org/mod_code/data.php?file=folder/FOLDER-it-2023-551.pdf).
  2. Crisà A., The hoard of Mazzarrà Sant’Andrea (Messina, Italy, 1950): gold 8 escudos (1714–46) of Philip V, “The Numismatic Chronicle”, 182 (2022): 398–405.
  3. Crisà A., Ancient tokens of Sicily. Small communities on the Mediterranean island utilized these pieces for ceremonial purposes, “The Numismatist”, 133 (2020), n. 2 (February): 47–51 (prize 2021).
  4. Crisà A., Farmers, police force and authorities: the ‘Calvatone Hoard 1911’ as seen through archival records (Cremona – Italy), “Notae Numismaticae – Zapiski Numizmatyczne”, 15 (2020): 107–30.
  5. Crisà A., A rare spintria from the Roman villa of Patti Marina (Messina – Italy), “Archeologia Classica”, 71 (2020): 635–48.
  6. Crisà A., Construction sites, state collections, sixteenth-century Spanish and Maltese coins: the “Via Maqueda Hoard” in context (Palermo, 1872), “American Journal of Numismatics”, 32 (2020): 331–79.
  7. Crisà A., After a trip: the effects of Augustus’ propaganda in Sicily through historical, numismatic and archaeological sources, “Arctos. Acta Philologica Fennica” 53 (2019): 37–67.
  8. Crisà A., A new terracotta tessera from the excavations of the University of Milan at Palmyra (Tadmor, Syrian Arab Republic) (2010), “Archeologia Classica”, 69 (2018): 803–10.
  9. Crisà A., An eighteenth-century Sicilian coin hoard from the Termini-Cerda railway construction site (Palermo, 1869), “American Journal of Numismatics”, 26 (2014): 339–62 (prize 2015).
  10. Crisà A., The accidental archaeologist: the unfortunate case of Antonio Filippello and the coin hoard of Castiglione (Catania, Sicily, 1818), “Bulletin of the History of Archaeology”, 24 (2014), n. 6: 1–11.
  11. Crisà A., Coin collectors and museum donors: contextualizing Delfino Trucchi and Antonino Salinas in early post-Unification Sicily (1868-73), “Journal of the History of Collections”, 26 (2014), n. 2: 277–86.
  12. Crisà A., Paolo Cataldi, a counterfeiter of ancient coins at Buccheri (Syracuse, 1818): some archival records, “Rivista Italiana di Numismatica” 113 (2012): 385–90.
  13. Crisà A., Lettera di Girolamo Bonanno Chiaramonte su una moneta d’oro di Costantino IV (Caltagirone, 1745), “Rivista Italiana di Numismatica” 112 (2011): 403–07, pl. I.
  14. Crisà A., A letter of Michele Schiavo describing a coin of Didia Clara (Palermo, eighteenth century), “Arctos. Acta Philologica Fennica” 44 (2010): 99–108.
  15. Crisà A., Archeologia e numismatica a Cefalù negli studi antiquari tra Cinquecento e Seicento, “Rivista Italiana di Numismatica” 111 (2010): 493–96.
  16. Crisà A., G. L. Castelli, principe di Torremuzza, numismatico ed antichista ad Halaesa Archonidea, “LANX” 2 (2009), n. 2: 116–49.
  17. Crisà A., Lettera di Antonino Restivo Navarro al barone Enrico Pirajno di Mandralisca con due repertori numismatici, “Rivista Italiana di Numismatica” 110 (2009): 521–32.
  18. Crisà A., Numismatica e archeologia a Lipari nelle lettere di Enrico Pirajno a Celestino Cavedoni (1861-1864), “Mediterranea. Ricerche storiche” 6 (2009), n. 17: 449–78.
  19. Crisà A., Maschere teatrali nella Sicilia settentrionale: tra collezionismo antiquario e ricerca archeologica, “Stratagemmi. Prospettive teatrali” 8 (2008): 11–45.
  20. Crisà A., La monetazione di Tindari romana con segni di valore e legende in lingua latina, “Rivista Italiana di Numismatica” 109 (2008): 235–68, pls. I–II.
  21. Crisà A., Tyndaris: storia, studi numismatici e iconografia monetale dei Dioscuri, “Cronaca Numismatica” 18 (2006), n. 186: 36–46 (prize 2006).

Conference proceedings:

  1. Crisà A., Tokens and the reproduction of divinities in Hellenistic and Roman Sicily: some preliminary case studies, in M. Heinzelmann and M. Bentz (eds.), Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Classical Archaeology (AIAC), Cologne/Bonn, 22-26 May 2018. Session 2-3, Single Contributions, Bonn: Propylaeum 2022: 47-58 (https://doi.org/10.11588/propylaeum.999.c13340).
  2. Crisà A., Why should the Palermo Museum and Antonino Salinas keep Arabic coins? New records on Canon Giovanni Pacetto’s donation (1877), in B. Callegher and A. D’Ottone (eds.), Proceedings of the 5th Assemani Symposium on Arabic Coinage, Rome, 29-30 September 2017, Trieste: EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste 2018: 257–72.
  3. Crisà A., Reconsidering the Calvatone Hoard 1942: A numismatic case study on the Roman vicus of Bedriacum (Cremona, Italy), in S. Jellonek, P. Koczwara and B. Zając (eds.), Proceedings of the III International Numismatic Conference «Pecunia Omnes Vincit»: Coin as a medium of exchange throughout centuries, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, 20-21 May 2016, Cracow: A. Gajda and Editors 2018: 18–31.
  4. Crisà A., Collecting coins and connecting collectors: government and social networks in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1816-1860), in M. C. Caltabiano (ed.), Proceedings of the XV International Numismatic Congress, Taormina 21-25 September 2015, Rome: Arbor Sapientiae 2017, I: 135–39.
  5. Crisà A., Heroic cults in Northern Sicily between numismatics and archaeology, in N. Holmes (ed.), Proceedings of the XIV International Numismatic Congress, Glasgow 31 August-4 September 2009, Glasgow: International Numismatic Council 2011: 114–22, pls. 1–2.

Reviews:

  1. Crisà A., Review of «F. L. Holt, When Money Talks. A History of Coins and Numismatics (Oxford 2021)», “Classical World”, 116 (2022), n. 1: 107-08.
  2. Crisà A., Review of «N. Pollard, Bombing Pompeii. World Heritage & Military Necessity (Ann Arbor 2019)», “Il Capitale Culturale”, 25 (2022): 683–85.
  3. Crisà A., Review of «S. Garfi, Conflict Landscapes. An Archaeology of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War (Oxford 2019)», “Landscape Journal”, 40 (2021), n. 1: 69–71.
  4. Crisà A., Review of «M. Kenawi and G. Marchioni, Unearthing Alexandria’s Archaeology: The Italian Contribution (Oxford 2018)», “The Antiquaries Journal”, 99 (2019), n. 1-2: 465–67.
  5. Crisà A., Review of «F. Collura (ed.), Studia Calactina I. Ricerche su una città di Sicilia: Kalè Akté - Calacte (Oxford 2017)», “Classical Review”, 1-3 (2018), n. 2: 1–3 (on-line).
  6. Crisà A., Review of «R. J. A. Wilson. Caddeddi on the Tellaro. A Late Roman Villa in Sicily and its Mosaics (Leuven 2016)», “Classical World”, 111 (2017), n. 1: 141–43.
  7. Crisà A., Exhibition review of «Il Salinas ricorda Salinas (1914–2014): «Del Real Museo di Palermo e del suo avvenire», Museo Archeologico ‘A. Salinas’, Palermo, 8 July-4 November 2014», “Museum Worlds. Advances in Research”, 4 (2016), n. 1: 230–32.
  8. Crisà A., Review of «S. Anastasio and L. Botarelli, The 1927–1938 Italian Archaeological Expedition to Transjordan in Renato Bartoccini’s Archives (Oxford 2015)», “Fe.RA. Frankfurter elektronische Rundschau zur Altertumskunde”, 28 (2015): 72–74.

University of Milan, Department of Cultural and Environmental Heritage (Milan, ITALY)

Ghent University, Department of Archaeology (Ghent, BELGIUM)

Conferences, Events and Workshops Organized/Chaired

2020 Antiquities, Sites and Museums under Threat: Cultural Heritage and Communities in a State of War (1939-45), 15-16 October 2020, Ghent University (Ghent, Belgium): organizer of a two-day ‘virtual’ conference, featuring international scholars.

2018 Tokens, Value and Identity: Exploring Monetiform Objects in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, 18-19 October 2018, The British School at Rome (Rome, Italy): organizer of a two-day workshop on ancient tokens, featuring international leading scholars.

2015 The State and Its Past: Consolidating National Identities Through History, Archaeology, and Politics, Franke Institute, University of Chicago (Chicago, IL, USA): co-organizer of a one-day conference featuring international speakers (10/10/15).

Selected grants, funds and scholarships

2023 World History Association: Grant to attend the WHA Pittsburgh Meeting (06/2023).

2022 International Numismatic Council: Grant to attend the XVI INC Warsaw (09/2022).

2020 Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO): Funding to organize a 2-day conference at Ghent University, October 2020 (see relevant section).

2019 ERC Marie Curie Skłodowska Individual Fellowship (166.320 €).

2017 Association of the Ancient Historians: Subvention Grant to attend the AAH Meeting (Providence, 04-06 May 2017).

2016 Royal Numismatic Society: Research Funds to study two unpublished ancient and modern coin hoards at the Archaeological Museum of Palermo (summer-autumn 2016).

2016 Classical Association of the Atlantic States: Travel Grant to attend the CAAS-CW Fall Meeting (New Brunswick, 20-22 October 2016).

Selected Conference Papers

2023 ‘The sources of the engravers: magical gems in a history of image transfers’, International Symposium, 15-17 February 2023, Université de Fribourg (Fribourg, Switzerland): Magical gems in Sicily: some case studies between iconography and collections (15/02/23).

2022 ‘Annual Meeting for Postgraduates in the Reception of the Ancient World (AMPRAW)’, 03-05 November 2022, Yale University (New Haven, CT, USA): Sicily in the nineteenth century: shaping the reception of an island through its museums (05/11/22).

2022 ‘XVI International Numismatic Congress’, 11-16 September 2022 (Warsaw, Poland): Modern coins under threat: an Italian prisoner prosecuted by the Allied Government in Sicily (1943) (12/09/22).

2021 ‘World History Association Conference 2021: Health, Globally’, 5-9 July 2021 (Salt Lake City, UT, USA): Sicily and World War 2: preserving antiquities, museums and sites in danger (1940–45) (06/07/21).

2021 ‘Mediterranean Studies Association 23rd Annual Conference’, 26-29 May 2021 (Gibraltar, UK): Protecting antiquities in a State of War: Sicily and World War II (28/05/21).

2020 ‘European Association of Archaeologists Annual Meeting’, 26-30 August 2020 (Budapest, Hungary): Networks connecting archaeologists and authorities in Sicily (1940-45): Pietro Griffo and Jole Bovio Marconi during World War 2 (27/08/20).

2020 ‘Classical Association of the Mid-West States (CAMWS) Annual Meeting’, 26-30 May 2020 (Birmingham, Alabama, USA): Protecting antiquities in danger: Sicily and World War 2 (1940-45) (30/05/20).

2019 ‘Tokens: The Athenian Legacy to the Modern World’, 16-17 December 2019 (Athens, Greece): New Hellenistic and Roman clay tokens from Sicily through local identities, museum and archival research (17/12/19).

2018 ‘World History Association Conference’, 21-23 June 2018 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): Not ‘banal’ material culture: ancient tokens, daily life and religion in Hellenistic and Roman Sicily (22/06/18).

2018 ‘AIAC/ICCA XIX Congress’, 22-26 May 2018 (Cologne/Bonn, Germany): Religion, micro-economies and divinities reproduction on small tesserae in Roman Sicily (26/05/18).

2018 ‘AIA/SCS Meeting’, 4-7 January 2018 (Boston, MA, US): The sacred twins even on tokens: the role of Dioskuroi at the ancient Tyndaris (Messina – Sicily) (07/01/18).

2017 ‘Association of the Ancient Historians Annual Meeting’, Brown University, 04-07 May 2017 (Providence, Rhode Island, USA): To be or not to be a coin? Ancient tokens in Italy as an economic source and the representation of local communities (05/05/17).

2017 ‘60th Missouri History Valley Conference’, Magnolia Hotel, 02-04 March 2017 (Omaha, NE, USA): New photographs from the past: revealing excavations and social contexts in Sicily between nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (03/03/17).

2016 ‘Classical Association of the Atlantic States (CAAS) Fall Meeting’, The Heldrich Conference Center, 20-22 October 2016 (New Brunswick, NJ, USA): Being on Cori’s trail at ‘Ratae Corieltavorum’: Latin/Archaeology clubs and outreach activity at Leicester local K-12 schools (United Kingdom) (22/10/16).

2015 ‘XV International Numismatic Congress’, 21-25 September 2015 (Taormina, Italy): Collecting coins and connecting collectors: government and social networks in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1816-1860) (24/09/15).

2015 AIA/SCS 146th Meeting, 8-11 January 2015 (New Orleans, LA, US): Above the law? Local priests and local archaeology in Sicily under the Kingdom of Italy (1861-1915) (11/01/15).

2014 ‘10th European Social Science History Conference’ (ESSHC), University of Vienna, 23-26 April 2014 (Vienna, Austria): Politicians, custodians and workers: a complex ‘archaeological’ society in late nineteenth-century Sicily (25/04/14).

2014 AIA/APA 145th Meeting, 2-5 January 2014 (Chicago, IL, US): Politics and archaeology in post-Unification Sicily (1861–1915): new perspectives from records (03/01/14).

Selected Invited Speaker

2021 Accordia Research Institute, ‘The Italy Lectures’ (London, UK): World War II in Sicily: protecting archaeology and museums under threat (15/03/21).

2020 NIOD Instituut voor Oorlogs-, Holocaust- en Genocidestudies (Amsterdam, Netherlands): Archaeology and museums at risk: impacting World War 2 in Sicily (10/03/20).

2019 ‘The small stuff of the Palmyrenes: the coins and tesserae of Palmyra’, 20-21 June 2019 (Copenhagen, Denmark): An unexpected find from the sand: a new tessera from the south-west quarter of Palmyra (2010) (21/06/19).

2018 Universität Tübingen, Institut für Klassische Archäologie, ‘Forschungskolloquium’ (Tübingen, Germany): Small monetiform objects in Roman Sicily: tokens and local cults (31/10/18).

2018 Casa Italia Chicago, Italian Cultural Center (Chicago, IL, USA): A token for your thoughts: the lost and rediscovered world of token use in ancient Sicily (27/06/18).

2017 Jagiellonian University (Cracow, Poland): The newly-found world of tokens: an overview of Hellenistic and Roman Sicily (31/05/17).

2017 San Diego State University, Department of History (sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America) (San Diego, CA, USA): Ancient tokens and communities: insights into Hellenistic and Roman Sicily (06/03/17).

2019–22 Ghent University, Department of Archaeology (Ghent, Belgium): ERC Marie Skłodowska-Curie research fellow: Cultural Heritage in Danger: Archaeology and Communities in Sicily during the Second World War (1940–45) (https://sicilywar.wordpress.com/) (topics: WW2 studies, cultural heritage, archaeology) (evaluation score: 97.20/100).

2016–19 University of Warwick, Department of Classics and Ancient History (Coventry, UK): Research fellow, Token Communities in the Ancient Mediterranean (topics: Hellenistic and Roman tokens from Sicily, iconography, archaeological contexts, antiquarian research, archival records).

2012–16   University of Leicester, School of Archaeology and Ancient History (Leicester, UK): Teaching assistant (subjects: Greek, Latin, Greek History, Roman History).

2012–16   University of Leicester, AccessAbility Center: Specialist mentor to sightless PhD Ancient History student.

2011 Tecne srl (Riccione, Italy): field archaeologist.

2010 Pandora Archeologia srl (Novara, Italy): field archaeologist and numismatist.

2007 Società Lombarda di Archeologia srl (Milan, Italy): field archaeologist and numismatist

COMM1311: Written Communication

COMM1312: Writing and Research

HIST1311: Worlds of Civilizations 1500-1900

Ancient and Modern History

Antiquarianism & History of Collecting

Archaeology/History of Sicily

Art History

Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology

Classics

Cultural Heritage Studies

Greek, Roman & Modern Numismatics

Museum Studies

Reception of Classics

American Historical Association (Washington, DC, USA)

American Numismatic Association (Colorado Springs, CO, USA)

American Numismatic Society (New York, NY, USA)

Archaeological Institute of America (Boston, MA, USA)

Association of Ancient Historians (San Diego, CA, USA)

Classical Association of the Atlantic States Classical World (Baltimore, MD, USA)

Classical Association of the Middle West and South (Monmouth, IL, USA)

Mediterranean Studies Association (North Dartmouth, MA, USA)

Society for Antiquaries of London (London, UK)

World History Association (Boston, MA, USA)