JULY 2026
prePOT Project Final Conference Held
The final conference of the Croatian Science Foundation project *Technological Characteristics and Cultural Practices in Prehistoric Pottery Traditions in Croatia (UIP-2020-02-3637)*was held at the Institute of Archaeology on 3 July 2026.
The conference, entitled Five Years of Research: From New Insights to Lasting Research Infrastructure&, presented the project's main scientific achievements, the development of its interdisciplinary research approach, and its lasting legacy, including the establishment of the LaKeS laboratory, a reference collection of archaeological and geological samples, and the training of early-career researchers.
Participants also had the opportunity to view short films showcasing the project's fieldwork, as well as an exhibition of posters and publications produced during the five years of the project.
AUGUST 2025
It is with great pride and pleasure that I inform you that our PhD candidate Natali Neral has successfully passed the evaluation process of her doctoral dissertation. Her dissertation is now available in printed form, as well as digitally at the following link:
https://www.rgn.unizg.hr/images/poslijediplomski/doktorski-radovi/Neral_Disertacija_2025_reduced.pdf
The public defense of the dissertation will take place on August 25, 2025, at 11:00 AM, in the Council Hall of the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, University of Zagreb.
MARCH – APRIL 2024
Assistant Natali Neral has been staying at the Institute of Archeology at the University College London since March 1st as part of the competition of the Croatian Science Foundation "Mobility Program - outgoing mobility of assistants (MOBDOK-2023)". During the research stay, the assistant conducts the analysis of prehistoric ceramics using the SEM-EDS and pXRF methods in one of the best equipped laboratories in Europe. These methods enable precise determination of geochemical compositions of individual pottery raw materials, and thus a more reliable determination of the provenience of raw materials. The first part of her research stay is related to the application of the pXRF method (portable X-ray fluorescence) on ceramics, while the second part is devoted to work on a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The research stay is carried out under the mentorship of the head of the project, Dr Andreja Kudelić and the host mentor, leading expert in ceramic analysis, geologist Dr Patrick Quinn.
November - December 2024
On December 18th, the Department of Archaeology of the University of Zadar will host a lecture entitled
Production Technology and Use of Pottery: Methodology for Processing Ceramic Finds and a workshop for students and professors.
November and December 2023
During November and December 2023, the processing and sampling of Bronze Age ceramics from the Znojilo hillfort was carried out at the Institute of Archeology in Zagreb.
