A woman with long curly dark hair wearing a black shirt and gold jewelry, smiling against a plain gray background.

Burcu Ustabaş

Affiliated Researcher (former)

Burcu Ustabaş is a researcher with a Master’s degree in Maritime Archaeology from Koç University. She has conducted excavation, archival, and museum work in Türkiye, Egypt, and Greece. Her expertise includes from classical period to medieval Byzantine maritime trade, amphora analysis, amphora stamps/graffiti, and digital archaeology techniques.

Research and Publications

Olive tree branch with green and purple olives against a blue sky.

The Olive Tree:
Myth, Heritage, and a Living Symbol

Aerial view of a harbor with a breakwater, boats, and surrounding shoreline with hills.

Maritime Cultural Engagement
and Coastal Communities in
Türkiye’s Eastern Black Sea

Archaeological excavation site with ancient structures, wooden walkways, and people exploring, under a partly cloudy sky.

Archaeotourism:
Navigating Heritage and Tourism
in a Global Context

Decorative artwork of a ship with sails, dolphins, and fish, framed with ornate red and gold curtains.

The Amentü Ship:
From Creed to Calligram to Cinema

An elderly man with dark skin, wearing a white headscarf and pearl jewelry, is sitting in shallow water and working with strings of pearls near a boat.

Echoes of the Deep:
Tracing the UAE’s Pearl Diving Heritage across Emirates