Originally from Somerville, Massachusetts, Astrid earned her B.A. in Classics and Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University from 2015 to 2019. Astrid’s research interest lies in Medieval and Renaissance manuscript studies, at the intersection of history, literature, and archaeology.
Within the sphere of manuscript studies, Astrid is particularly interested in the connection between the personal history of the scribes, editors and authors and the material objects they used and created, and the importance of this interaction for the study of intellectual history. Astrid is also interested in Ancient Egyptian literature, particularly magical-religious texts. She is also interested in the creation of and interaction with sacred space in antiquity, and she has a long-standing passion for Norse literature and mythology.
During her undergraduate career, Astrid was granted a research award to conduct original research on a 1507 edition of Vergil. The project focused on transcribing and translating the handwritten notes in this book from Latin into English. The project revealed that front matter contained a commentary on Vergil’s work written by Benedictus Philologus, the pen name of Florentine scholar and editor Benedetto Riccardini. Astrid also worked as a student museum assistant at the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum. In the spring of 2018, Astrid participated in the ICCS program in Rome.
An article on Astrid’s research can be found here: https://krieger.jhu.edu/magazine/2017/11/09/field-notes-5/