We think of monks as living peaceful lives, separated from the chaos of daily life, but throughout modern Turkey stand the remains of medieval fortress monasteries, used as both houses of worship and refuge in time of war. This month, we sit down with Dr. Tyler Wolford, 2024-2025 Postdoctoral Byzantine Fellow at the Medieval Institute, to learn about his work on these spiritual strongholds. We talk about the value of global archaeology, analysis of medieval settlement patterns, the definition of "Byzantine," and how digging in Ohio led him to excavations in Turkey's Maeander Valley.

Click here to see Dr. Wolford's Byzantine Workshop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY1iHRsyv0A

Click here to read Dr. Wolford's recent contribution to the Medieval Studies Research Blog:

https://sites.nd.edu/manuscript-studies/2025/05/07/why-fortify-a-short-introduction-to-four-byzantine-fortifications-in-the-maeander-valley/