Biography

Historian. PhD candidate in History and Philosophy of Science — specialising in Museology — at the University of Évora, hosted by the Institute of Contemporary History, with a thesis project on the formation of Egyptology and Egyptian collections in Portugal, funded by a studentship of the Foundation for Science and Technology and co-hosted by the National Archaeological Museum.

He has a degree in History and Archaeology from the University of Évora (2018) and a Master’s degree in History from NOVA FCSH (2023). He is a member of the Editorial Board of Callipole – Revista de Cultura. He was a research fellow on the TRANSMAT project (2021) and a DGPC trainee technician at the Frei Manuel do Cenáculo National Museum (2022).

His current research areas are: history of scientific culture and museums in transnational and post-colonial perspectives; archaeological collecting and object biographies; uses of the past and historiography; class struggles of rural workers and political ideas in contemporary Portuguese history. His research work on these topics has been disseminated through various presentations at conferences (including invited talks), guided tours and papers published in scientific journals.

Research fields

• History of scientific culture and museums in transnational and post-colonial perspectives
• Archaeological collecting and object biographies
• Uses of the past and historiography
• Class struggles of rural workers and political ideas in contemporary Portuguese history

Selected publications

• Caia, João Gabriel. “Trabalhadores Rurais e Sindicalismo: análise da luta de classes no primeiro movimento sindicalista rural em Évora (1910-1912).” Revista de História da Sociedade e da Cultura 24 (2024): 175–200. [link] 🔓
• Caia, João Gabriel. “Trabalhadores Rurais de Évora e Anarquismo na Revolução Republicana: tentativa de reorganização sindical e propaganda entre as greves e a guerra.” Revista de História das Ideias 41 (2023): 255-271. [link] 🔓
• Caia, João Gabriel. “História e Usos Políticos da Memória de Vila Viçosa enquanto “Vila Ducal Renascentista” entre os séculos XIX e XXI: a propósito da candidatura a Património Mundial.” História 9 (2019): 200-216. [link] 🔓

Main projects

• “Construção da Egiptologia e das Coleções Egípcias em Portugal (1850-1930): cultura e poder no colecionismo transnacional da família real” [Construction of Egyptology and Egyptian Collections in Portugal (1850-1930): culture and power in the transnational collecting of the royal family] — PhD thesis to be presented to the University of Évora, supervised by Elisabete Pereira (IHC — University of Évora). Individual PhD project funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (BD-36/2023). 2024-
• Research training fellow of the project “TRANSMAT — Transnational Materialities (1850-1930): Reconstituting collections and connecting histories” — Coordinated by Elisabete Pereira (IHC — University of Évora) and funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/FER-HFC/2793/2020). 2021 [link]