ABOUT THE PROJECT

 

Transformation of identities through past (TIPS)

 

 

Project manager:

Dr. Marina Ugarković

Institution:

Institute of archaeology

Duration of the project:

48 months (2024 – 2027)

 

The project is focused on exploring the transformations of social and cultural identities in the Mediterranean and continental parts of Europe (the present-day territory of the Republic of Croatia) through various prehistoric and historical periods (from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages). Based on several scientific case studies, which are examined in the light of contemporary theory and grounded in interdisciplinary analysis as well as contextual interpretation of material culture, the main goal of the research project is to identify material traces of past communities and the social processes behind material records, in which identity changes are recognized. It is particularly important to gain insight into a better understanding of the mechanisms that have influenced identity changes through various material sources and periods, especially in pivotal moments of (micro)regional cultural development and the characteristic dynamics of change itself. By linking material characteristics with social practices and cultural perceptions of individuals and communities who use them to articulate the retention or change of their own identities, processes of social and cultural transformations which took place within the framework of everyday activities are observed under the auspices of intertwined roles of social actors and material culture. Transformations of different aspects of identity are reflections of complex cultural interactions shaped by geostrategic, social, economic, political, and individual strategies, and the research will attempt to offer results characteristic of various individuals and communities that inhabited the territory of Croatia, as well as the specificity and interconnectedness of different (micro)regions in the context of long-term cultural development.

 

The project is financed by the European Union-NextGeneration EU (NPOO) – 116.000,00 euros.