Neoteros

Beginning his academic career in Classical Studies, John G. Younger
rapidly extended his expertise into prehistoric (Bronze Age) Aegean
archaeology, art and architecture, with a particular focus on ancient
stone-working... and from this interest came his seminal studies on the
iconography of Bronze Age Aegean stone seals, a field on which he has
made an indelible mark. He also branched out into Jewish Studies,
becoming an expert on early synagogues. His lifelong activism for
LGBTQI+ and minority rights, and his early embrace of feminism and the
crucial role that women have played in the past (not just in
archaeology, but in the ancient world itself) have also informed his
teaching and studies regarding ancient and modern notions about gender
and sexuality, and these studies have greatly enriched our views of the
ancient world, while going a long way toward counteracting the
persistently male-centric interpretations of the ancient world
characteristic of the past few centuries. He has been a pioneer in the
establishment of LGBTQI+ academic programs in the U.S., and in the
integration of modern technologies (especially computers) into Classics
and archaeology. He has established himself as an international
authority on Linear A, the undeciphered writing system of the Minoans;
his website containing the corpus of that script is second to none in
terms of its value to scholars working on Linear A. His recent and
continuing investigations into the identification of prehistoric Aegean
myths promises to add yet another facet to what is already a brilliant
diamond of a career.