Sara M. Wijma studied History at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen with a specialization in Ancient History. Her MA thesis in 2002 was on the imagery of the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) in the fifth and fourth century BC.

After one year at the University of Cambridge working on several topics, with an emphasis on the use of archaeological data in the study of classical Athens, she is currently working on her PhD thesis on the social implications of (group) participation in cultic activities in fifth- and fourth-century Athens at the University of Utrecht.