Dr. Sebastian Watta
Research Areas
- Early Christian and Medieval Sacred Architecture
- Liturgical Furnishings
- Late Antique Interior Decoration
- Late Antique Epigraphy
- Concepts of Sacredness and Processes of Sacralization
- Early Christian and Medieval Iconography
- Cultural History of Water
Professional practice
- Since July 2026: Research Associate, Department of Archaeology and Art History of the Late Antique and Byzantine World, Georg August University of Göttingen
- January 2021 – June 2023: Research Associate (PostDoc) in the Heidelberg SFB 933 “Materiale Textkulturen” [Teilprojekt A01, UP2]
- Winter Semester 2016/2017 – Winter Semester 2019/2020: Academic Assistant (Akademischer Rat a. Z.) at the Chair of Christian Archaeology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
- Winter Semester 2015/2016 – Summer Semester 2016: Research Associate in the Department of Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Art History, Faculty 05 Protestant Theology, Philipps-Universität Marburg
- 2011 – 2014: Research Associate in the DFG Research Unit (FOR 1533) “Sakralität und Sakralisierung in Mittelalter und Früher Neuzeit. Interkulturelle Perspektiven in Europa und Asien” (Subproject of Prof. Dr. C. Jäggi) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
- 20 January 2009 – 31 October 2010: Substitute for the Assistant position at the Chair of Christian Archaeology and Art History, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Education
- September 2015: Doctorate at the Institute of Art History, University of Zurich, Switzerland, on the topic “Sakrale Zonen im frühen Kirchenbau des Nahen Ostens. Zum Kommunikationspotenzial von Bodenmosaiken für die Schaffung heiliger Räume” (doctoral supervisor Prof. Dr. Carola Jäggi)
- 2000–2007: Studies in Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Art History, Art History, and Protestant Theology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz; Master’s thesis: “Monolithische Piscinen der Spätantike in den byzantinischen Kerngebieten” (supervised by Prof. Dr. Urs Peschlow)
Scholarship and awards
- November 2017: Awarding of the dissertation “Sakrale Zonen im frühen Kirchenbau des Nahen Ostens. Zum Kommunikationspotenzial von Bodenmosaiken für die Schaffung heiliger Räume” with the “Juliana-Anicia-Preis” of the association “Spätantike Archäologie und Byzantinische Kunstgeschichte e.V.” based at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
- September 2007 – 31 August 2008: Doctoral scholarship of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz (RGZM), Forschungsgruppe Byzantinische Archäologie Mainz (BAM)
Personal information
- 29.09.1979 born in Hannover
- married