Ana Franjic

Ana Franjic

  • Postdoc
  • Archaeological Sciences – Geochemestry Lab

Biographical sketch

Studied archaeology at the University of Zagreb (BA) and University College London (MA, PhD). Held postdoctoral positions at KU Leuven and the Austrian Archaeological Institute. Currently a Seal of Excellence Fellow at the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Research focuses on the integration of archaeometry and archaeological theory to investigate the technologies, provenance, production, and circulation of human-made materials in later prehistoric Europe, with particular emphasis on their social dimensions and cultural significance. Specializes in prehistoric glassmaking practices, early natron glass production, and cross-craft interactions between glassmakers and metallurgists, with a geographical focus on Southeast Europe and its complex trajectories of technological development and cultural interaction.

Current project, FLUX: From Sources to Societies, examines the reciprocal relationship between technology and society through a multidisciplinary study of the socio-cultural biographies of glass and bronze artefacts. Research explores how technological knowledge, craft traditions, and material choices shaped identities, exchange networks, and cultural connectivity, as well as processes of meaning-making and the lived experiences of past communities.

With a background in the arts, also pursues research at the intersection of art and archaeology, particularly the sensory, visual, and performative dimensions of archaeological knowledge and experiences of the past.

Board member of the Association for the History of Glass (AHG) and member of the Association Internationale pour l’Histoire du Verre (AIHV) and the Society of Archaeological Sciences (SAS).

Research Projects

Research interests

  • Ancient technologies
  • Glass, metals, pigments
  • Artefact analysis
  • Provenance and sourcing of materials
  • Cultural significance of materials
  • Meaning and perception of colour in the past
  • Prehistoric identities
  • Material culture and cultural practices
  • Interdisciplinary explorations