Dr. Natalia Khamaiko

Natalia Khamaiko studied history, cultural anthropology and archaeology at the Taras Shevchenko Chernihiv State Pedagogical University (now - T.H. Shevchenko National University »Chernihiv Collegium«). Since 1999, she has directed archaeological excavations. From 2001 to 2003, she was an assistant at T.H. Shevchenko National University »Chernihiv Collegium«. From 2003 to 2011, she was a research fellow with the permanent archaeological expedition at Podil in Kyiv. Since 2011, she has been a research fellow at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv. Since 2012, she has also been a research fellow at the Museum of the History of the Desiatynna Church in Kyiv. In 2024, she received her doctorate in archaeology from the University of Rzeszów (Poland) with the dissertation »Deconstructing the Worldview and Pagan Beliefs of Early Rus’ in Archaeology: Methods, Traditions, Critical Approaches«.

From 2022 to 2023, she was a visiting fellow at the GWZO within the scholarship programmes of the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) and the Volkswagen Foundation for refugee researchers. From 2023 to 2024, she was a researcher at the GWZO in the Department »Humans and Environment«. From 2024 to 2025, she was a fellow at the GWZO. Since April 2026, she has been a researcher at the GWZO in the Department »Humans and Environment«.

• Archaeology and history of Early Rus’ and medieval Europe
• Interregional entanglements and long-distance contacts
• Material culture, identity and social practice
• Processes of cultural exchange and premodern globalization
• Interdisciplinary approaches (zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, archaeometry)

• Member of European Association of Archaeologists (EAA)
• Member of International Council of Museums (ICOM)
• Member of Medieval Europe Research Community (MERC)

Natalia Khamaiko has taught courses on archaeological methodology and the history of Ukraine at the T.H. Shevchenko National University »Chernihiv Collegium« (2001-2003) and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (2011-2021).