Teachers
Research Postgraduate Students
Prof. Peter J Cobb
BA Dartmouth, MS UNC-Chapel Hill, PhD University of Pennsylvania
Associate Professor
Postgraduate Coordinator
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Faculty Knowledge Exchange Award, 2026
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Research Output Prize, 2025
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Early Career Teaching Award, 2021
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Faculty of Education Early Career Teaching Award, 2021
Project homepage: https://openarchaeology.org/
Prof Cobb is a field archaeologist, a ceramics specialist, and a digital humanist. He teaches courses on archaeological methods and theories and the archaeology of the ancient world, including experiential learning classes abroad. He has conducted archaeological fieldwork in Armenia, Laos, and Türkiye, and is currently the director of the Ararat Plain Southeast Archaeological Project (APSAP) in collaboration with the Armenian Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography. His research focuses on the Late Bronze and Iron Ages (ca 1600-600 CE) of the Eastern Mediterranean and ancient Southwest Asia (aka the Ancient Near East). Prof Cobb examines the past through landscape archaeology and ceramics analysis frameworks. He also brings a digital humanities approach to his archaeological fieldwork.
Students who are interested in applying for an MPhil or PhD in archaeology should first read this information, prior to contacting Prof Cobb: https://openarchaeology.org/home/rpg
email: pcobb@hku.hk
office: 9.05 Run Run Shaw Tower
telephone: 852 3917 7309
Hayk Azizbekyan
BA, MA Yerevan State University
PhD Candidate
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Research Output Prize, 2025
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Research Postgraduate Student Innovation Award, 2024-2025
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Extracurricular Award, 2023-2024
Hayk is a field archaeologist and digital-methods innovator working at the intersection of excavation, spatial data, 3D documentation, extended reality (XR), and heritage practice. His research explores how digital technologies can enhance the recording, analysis, and interpretation of archaeological sites. At the Vedi Fortress in Armenia, he combines archaeological fieldwork with digital documentation to investigate the site’s spatial organization and interpret its architectural remains. Through mixed and augmented reality applications, he investigates new ways to visualize archaeological evidence and communicate heritage research to wider audiences.
Yishu Deng
BA University of Wisconsin-Madison, MA University of Chicago, MPhil University of Cambridge
PhD Student
Yishu's PhD research studies the Sasanian period human activities in the Vedi River Valley in Armenia. She is interested in all aspects of the life and the material remains of people who lived in the Sasanian South Caucasus. Previously in her MPhil dissertation, she analyzed the Sasanian period defense systems and conducted archaeometallurgical studies on Sasanian period metal objects from the Vedi Fortress.
Shuya Lu
BA Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MA University of the Arts London
PhD Candidate
Shuya's research focuses on digital archaeology, particularly the development of interactive 3D databases for visualizing and exploring archaeological excavation data. Her doctoral research focuses on web-based 3D visualization and spatial interaction, exploring more intuitive ways for users to interact directly with complex archaeological data in 3D environments. She is also interested in user experience and human-computer interaction in the design of digital tools for archaeological research.