Despina Margomenou was born in Thessaloniki. She has a degree in archeology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. During her studies she was granted two scholarships  (Fulbright Program and University of Michigan). She went to Michigan for postgraduate and doctoral studies. There she confirmed that Greek archeology can be comparative, intercultural, and interdisciplinary: a discipline in dialogue mode, not monologue mode. Part of her research focuses on the social, political, and economic changes that mark the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in Macedonia and on the cultural entities which are known as Macedonian ethnic groups. At the same time, she is interested in the the social and political dimensions of archaeological and museological practice, and particularly its relation with political activism. Since 2011 she has been conducting ethnographic research in Limnos and Thessaloniki, investigating how the economic crisis has affected the notions of 'community,' 'identity,' and 'cultural heritage.' She taught Anthropology and Museum Studies at the Department of Anthropology of Georgia State University and since 2011 she has been Senior Lecturer at the Department of Classical Studies and the Modern Greek Studies Program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.