معرفی
Associate Professor Irena Radic Rossi, Ph.D. has been a faculty member at the University of Zadar, Department of Archaeology since 2009, where she teaches at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels. Born in Zagreb in 1964, she is a leading Croatian underwater archaeologist specialising in maritime heritage of the Adriatic.
Education
- 1987 – B.A. in Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb
- 1993 – M.Sc. in Archaeology (topic: Amphorae of the Lamboglia 2 and Dressel 6a types on the eastern coast of the Adriatic in light of underwater finds)
- 2011 – Ph.D. in Archaeology, University of Zadar (topic: Problems of prehistoric and ancient archaeological sites in the Croatian underwater world)
Research Interests
Her research encompasses the full spectrum of underwater and maritime archaeology, from ship construction and naval architecture to ancient trade routes, seafaring technologies, and protection of submerged cultural heritage. She employs interdisciplinary methods combining traditional excavation with advanced digital recording, numerical simulation and archaeometric analyses. Her work illuminates how human interaction with the sea has shaped the civilisations of the Adriatic and the wider Mediterranean.
Publications Overview
Across more than 80 publications since 2017, her research can be grouped into four dominant themes: (1) hull analysis and ship performance, where engineering approaches are applied to ancient vessels; (2) site-specific studies of iconic wrecks such as Gnalić (1583), Santo Hieronimo (1576) and Roman sites at Caska and Trstenik; (3) environmental reconstructions using salt-pan and microfossil proxies to track Holocene sea-level change; and (4) material culture studies focusing on amphorae, glass and pottery as evidence of trade and technology transfer.
Scientific Awards & Recognition
While explicit awards are not listed, her sustained international collaborations—Centre Camille Jullian (CNRS), Ca’ Foscari University Venice, Texas A&M University, UNESCO Participation Programme—underscore significant peer recognition.
Projects & Funding
- Principal Investigator, Ships and Navigation in the Roman Province of Dalmatia (with Centre Camille Jullian, France, since 2007)
- Co-director, Ars Nautica – Educational Program in Archaeology and Maritime History (with Ca’ Foscari University & UNESCO, 2008–2011)
- Coordinator, The Shipwreck near Gnalić – A Mirror of Renaissance Europe (with Texas A&M University and partners, since 2011)
Laboratories & Teams
She leads the University of Zadar’s underwater archaeology research group, integrating students and post-docs into field projects that combine diving operations, 3-D photogrammetric recording, and laboratory analyses in dendrochronology and archaeometry. Fieldwork is conducted from the department’s own research vessel, providing a fully equipped platform for multidisciplinary campaigns along the Croatian coast.
