Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Description of research and teaching
Since 2023, Lena is a steering committee member of the Connected Past (https://connectedpast.net/).
She holds the title of Docent in Ancient Near Eastern Studies (Helsinki University), and earned her PhD in Egyptology (2021, University of Cologne), with a thesis on socio-economic relations in Ptolemaic Pathyris supervised by R. Bußmann (Cologne), E. Palious (Cologne) and K. Ryholt (Copenhagen).
On the case-specific level, she studied the interplay between interpersonal connectivity and socio-economic behaviour in the small-scale community of Pathyris in ancient Egypt (186-88 BCE). Methodologically, she demonstrated and critically assessed the extent to which aspects of formal Social Network Analysis (SNA) can be fruitfully applied to ancient textual sources.
The reworked monograph 'Socio-Economic Relations in Ptolemaic Pathyris: A Network Analytical Approach to a Bilingual Community' was published by Brill as Probleme der Ägyptologie Volumes 40.1 and 40.2 in 2022.
Since April 2021, Lena has been a full member of the Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires (ANEE), directed by S. Svärd at Helsinki University. In her main research project, she addresses pertinent questions about daily life and structural dynamics of human interactions in 3rd century BCE Egypt and the Levant by means of studying the texts associated with the largest archive to have survived from ancient Egypt - the Zenon Archive - from a network perspective.
From April 2023, this work is funded by the Kone Foundation.
Fields of Science
- 615 History and Archaeology
- Egyptology
- Classics
- Archaeology of the Mediterranean and Middle East
- Social History
- (Social) Network Analysis
Supervisor for doctoral programme
- Doctoral programme in the Humanities
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Socio-Economic Relations in Ptolemaic Pathyris: A Network Analytical Approach to a Bilingual Community
Tambs, L., Jul 2022, Leiden: Brill . (Probleme der Ägyptologie; vol. 40.1-40.2)Research output: Book/Report › Book › Scientific › peer-review
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Unnamed Actors and Groups in Select Papyri from the Zenon Archive (3rd cent. BCE): Implications for Historical Network Approaches
Tambs, L., 12 May 2026, In: Journal of Historical Network Research . 13, 1, p. 6-56 51 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
People and Things on the Move: Tracking Paths with Social Network Analysis
Tambs, L., 3 Apr 2025, In: Open Archaeology. 11, 1, 25 p., 20250040.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Letters have weight: weighted k-shells in a Neo-Assyrian co-attestation network
Bennett, E., Tambs, L. & Linden, K., 3 Sept 2024, In: Journal of Historical Network Research . 10, 1, p. 150-197 48 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
The Instruction of a Man for His Son in Finland (O. SES 23)
Christiansen, T., Autere, K., Bueno Guardia, M., Salmenkivi, E., Sola, H., Tambs, L. & Wasmuth, M., 10 Jun 2024, In: Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. 110, 1-2, p. 281-287 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile
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Interpersonal Relationships in Early Ptolemaic Egypt: A Network Analytical Study of the Zenon Archive (263-229 BCE)
Tambs, L. (Project manager)
01/04/2021 → …
Project: Research project
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ESG: Helsinki University: Egyptology Study Group
Wasmuth, M. (Project manager), Tambs, L. (Participant), Autere, K. (Participant), Salmenkivi, E. (Participant), Sola, H. M. (Participant), Jauhiainen, H. (Participant) & Bueno Guardia, M. (Participant)
18/05/2018 → …
Project: Other project
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Knit 'n Chill
Tambs, L. (Project manager)
University of Helsinki International Staff Network
01/01/2025 → …
Project: Other project
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ANEE: Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires
Svärd, S. (Project manager), Alstola, T. (Participant), Auranne, T. (Participant), Bennett, E. R. (Participant), Hietamäki, T. A. E. (Participant), Jauhiainen, H. (Participant), Jones, C. W. (Participant), Kankkunen, J. A. (Participant), Ketonen, A. (Participant), Liikanen, C. S. (Participant), Lund, J. S. A. (Participant), Ong, M. C. (Participant), Pietarinen, S. L. (Participant), Ruotsalainen, A. J. (Participant), Sakko, M. T. (Participant), Spunaugle, A. (Participant), Tambs, L. (Participant) & Valk, J. (Participant)
Suomen Akatemia Projektilaskutus
01/01/2023 → 31/12/2025
Project: Research Council of Finland: Centre of Exellence
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ANEE: Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires
Silverman, J. M. (Principal Investigator), Svärd, S. (Project manager), Lahelma, A. (Principal Investigator), Nikki, N. (Participant), Töyräänvuori, J. (Participant), Jokiranta, J. (Participant), Laine, L. (Participant), Kletter, R. (Participant), Bonnie, R. (Participant), Thomas, S. (Participant), Holmqvist-Sipilä, E. (Participant), Kouki, P. (Participant), Wasmuth, M. (Participant), Wallis, C. (Participant), Lorenzon, M. (Participant), Jauhiainen, H. (Participant), Jauhiainen, T. (Participant), Alstola, T. (Participant), Bach, J. (Participant), Fink, S. (Participant), Konstantopoulos, G. (Participant), Zaia, S. (Participant), Sahala, A. (Participant), Miettunen, P. H. (Participant), Avneri Meir, R. (Participant), Aissaoui, A. I. (Participant), Arpe, O. P. (Participant), Luukko, M. I. (Participant), Kovanen, H. (Participant), Linden, K. (Participant), Bennett, E. R. (Participant), Saari, S. (Participant), Vanderstraeten, E. (Participant), Autere, K. (Participant), Debourse, C. H. I. (Participant), Kailamäki, U. (Participant), Kautonen, S. K. (Participant), Spunaugle, A. (Participant), Tambs, L. (Participant), Jones, C. W. (Participant), Wijnsma, U. Z. (Participant), Valk, J. (Participant), Gheorghiade, P. (Participant), Autere, K. (Participant), Uotila, R. (Participant), Reinikainen, S. J. J. (Participant), Cutillas Victoria, B. (Participant), Holappa, M. (Participant), Kletter, R. (Participant), Smith, S. L. (Participant) & Pfoh, E. (Participant)
01/01/2018 → 31/12/2025
Project: Research project
Datasets
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People and Things on the Move (supplementary material)
Tambs, L. (Creator), Zenodo, 4 Apr 2025
Dataset
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Letters have weight (supplementary material)
Bennett, E. R. (Creator), Tambs, L. (Creator) & Linden, K. (Creator), Zenodo, 2 Sept 2024
Dataset
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Socio-Economic Relations in Ptolemaic Pathyris: A Network Analytical Approach to a Bilingual Community (supplementary material)
Tambs, L. (Creator) & Books1, B. (Other), Figshare, 4 Jul 2022
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20109752.v1, https://brill.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_material_for_Socio-Economic_Relations_in_Ptolemaic_Pathyris_A_Network_Analytical_Approach_to_a_Bilingual_Community_by_Lena_Tambs_published_in_Probleme_der_A_gyptologie_volumes_40_1_and_40_2_/20109752/1
Dataset
Prizes
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ANEE Team 1 Publication Prize
Bennett, E. R. (Recipient), Tambs, L. (Recipient) & Linden, K. (Recipient), 2025
Prize: Prizes and awards
Activities
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The Connected Past (External organisation)
Tambs, L. (Board member) & Gheorghiade, P. (Board member)
2023 → …Activity: Membership types › Membership or other role in research network
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Ancient and Medieval Middle East Seminar
Tambs, L. (Member of organizing committee)
Apr 2021 → Dec 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Organisation and participation in conferences, workshops, courses, seminars
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Historical Networks as Treasure Maps: Finding Relevant Sources with Aid from Attestation Networks
Tambs, L. (Speaker)
20 Jul 2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
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Moving Things, Connecting People: Relational Approaches to the Zenon Archive
Tambs, L. (Invited speaker)
21 May 2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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The Connected Past 2025 (Coimbra)
Tambs, L. (Scientific Committee Member) & Gheorghiade, P. (Scientific Committee Member)
16 Sept 2025 → 17 Sept 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Organisation and participation in conferences, workshops, courses, seminars