Rachael Maxon is a PhD student specializing in Ancient Near Eastern art and archaeology. She received her BA in Classics and Art History from Cornell College with an emphasis in archaeology, and her MA in Art History from the University of Iowa. She has also received a MA in History from Midwestern State University and a TEFL certificate from University of Toronto. She has participated in archaeological excavations in Greece, and spoken at several conferences including ASOR. Her primary research has been the Prehistoric and Bronze Age Mediterranean. For her PhD research, Rachael is focused on the art and archaeology of the Achaemenid Persian empire, especially Darius I, and is presently studying the complex interrelationship between issues of place, memory, myth, identity, and reception in relation to the later Achaemenid rulers.