Archaeologist, Author

Dirk Booms has been a National Geographic Expedition Expert for the past decade. Born and raised in Belgium, he studied Classical Archaeology there, as well as in Rome and at the prestigious University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where he earned his PhD.

A specialist in the history and archaeology of the Mediterranean — spanning both the ancient and medieval worlds — Dirk began his academic career by lecturing at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford before becoming Curator of Roman Mediterranean Archaeology at the British Museum in London.

He has organized four major exhibitions, including the internationally acclaimed Sicily: Culture and Conquest, which explored the island’s Greek and Norman periods. He has also authored several books on the Roman Empire and the history of Sicily.

With more than 25 years of archaeological excavation experience, Dirk has worked at numerous sites across Europe and North Africa. His major projects have included the excavation of the private villa of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius near Rome, as well as a very early Christian church and cemetery in North Africa.

As an archaeologist of the 'longue durée', Dirk skillfully weaves together the stories of the many peoples, cultures, and languages that have shaped the rich and complex history of the Mediterranean region.