Dr Carla Ionescu, PhD

Dr. Carla Ionescu is a historian of ancient religion and the author of She Who Hunts: Artemis, the Goddess Who Changed the World and She Who Endures: The Cult and Iconography of Artemis of Ephesus. She teaches at institutions across Canada, including York University and University of Guelph-Humber, where she specializes in Greek and Roman religion, myth, and society.

Her research is grounded not only in texts, but in direct, physical engagement with the ancient landscape. As the creator of the Artemis Mapping Project, she travels across the Mediterranean, hiking, climbing, and documenting remote and often difficult-to-access temple sites dedicated to Artemis. Through on-site filming and photography, she produces a growing visual archive that brings these locations into public view, combining historical research with digital mapping and field documentation.

This work reflects an approach that is both scholarly and innovative, integrating traditional academic methods with visual storytelling, geographic data, and immersive field research. It also reframes how ancient religion is studied and shared, moving beyond the classroom into lived, embodied experience.

Dr. Ionescu’s work is deeply connected to questions of women’s history and presence. By documenting the spaces where women worshipped, led rituals, and participated in religious life, she highlights the visibility and influence of women in the ancient world. Her work also speaks to contemporary audiences, particularly women, by reconnecting them with histories of autonomy, movement, and sacred authority that are often overlooked or minimized in traditional narratives.

She is an experienced public speaker and educator who translates complex historical material into accessible discussions on myth, ritual, gender, and belief systems, with a focus on the enduring relevance of ancient traditions in modern life.

Sub-specialties:

Ancient Greek and Roman religion, with a focus on Artemis and regional cult practices across Greece, Anatolia, and the Mediterranean

Women in ancient societies, including ritual roles, religious authority, and gendered access to sacred space

Feminism and historical perspective, with emphasis on how ancient models of female autonomy, movement, and power inform contemporary conversations about women’s leadership and identity

Spirituality and ancient belief systems, including myth, ritual practice, pilgrimage, and sacred landscapes

The relationship between myth and lived experience, including how ancient narratives continue to shape modern cultural and spiritual frameworks

Artemis of Ephesus, including iconography, temple traditions, and the long-term transformation of goddess imagery

Sacred sites and environment, including wilderness sanctuaries, mountain cults, and the connection between landscape, ecology, and religious practice

Field-based historical research, including travel to and documentation of remote archaeological sites through photography, video, and on-site analysis

Digital humanities and mapping, including the development of the Artemis Mapping Project as a tool for research, education, and public engagement

Public history and education, including translating complex historical material into accessible formats for broad audiences through teaching, writing, and media

Social justice and historical visibility, with a focus on recovering and documenting women’s presence in religious and cultural history

Women’s empowerment through historical knowledge, including reconnecting contemporary audiences with traditions of female agency and sacred authority

Mythology in modern culture, including the reinterpretation of ancient figures in media, literature, and contemporary spiritual practice

Travel and cultural heritage, including responsible engagement with historical sites and the preservation and documentation of endangered or overlooked locations