I obtained my PhD in archaeology (Prehistory and Protohistory of Asia) from the University of Bologna (Italy) in 2011. I am currently investigating long-range trade and cross-cultural interactions between urban-level societies in South and Middle Asia during the Early Bronze Age, with a specific focus on the Indus Valley and Southern Arabia. My research involves a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches, including the study of ancient administrative and writing systems, traditional technologies and crafts, iconography and art styles, socio-economic and political organisation. I directed archaeological excavations in India and the Sultanate of Oman and worked on archaeological collections with several museums and archaeological expeditions in India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. I have been working as the adviser for the archaeology and heritage sector of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman.