ASEF Speaker Series: Dr Saša Čaval
The American-Slovenian Educational Foundation (ASEF) is organising a new popular science lecture as part of the ASEF Speaker Series. This time the lecture will be given by Dr Saša Čaval, a renowned researcher in the field of archaeology and cultural heritage. The lecture is entitled Interdisciplinary Approaches and Intercultural Dialogue in Cultural Heritage Research and will take place on Thursday, 6th of March at 6 pm in the Gosposki Hall of ZM GIAM ZRC SAZU (Gosposka ulica 16, Ljubljana) and on Zoom link. Registration is required.
About the lecture
In this lecture, Dr Saša Čaval will present the importance of interdisciplinary research approaches in the study of cultural heritage in different geographical and cultural settings, such as the Western Balkans, Latin America and the Indian Ocean. In particular, she will highlight research on stelae, medieval burial monuments typical of the Western Balkans, which are important vehicles of the historical, religious and cultural multiplicity of this region.
The ERC project STONE, led by Dr Čaval, is researching stelae as unique regional symbols reflecting the influences of different ethnic and religious communities. The analysis of these monuments provides a better understanding of the processes of regional identity formation and intercultural dialogue in medieval and contemporary societies.
The lecture will conclude with a discussion on the importance of an interdisciplinary approach and cooperation between different disciplines, as well as on sustainable strategies for the protection of cultural heritage.
About the lecturer
Dr Saša Čaval is a distinguished researcher and lecturer at the Center for Archaeology (SAC) and the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS) at Stanford University. She is also a research associate at the Institute for Anthropological and Spatial Studies of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and an assistant professor at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Primorska.
She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in archaeology at the University of Ljubljana, and her postdoctoral project as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. In 2023 she was awarded the prestigious ERC project STONE, which investigates medieval stelae in the Western Balkans.
Her research interests include the archaeology of religion, cultural processes in the Middle Ages, archaeoastronomy and historical archaeology, with a focus on Europe, Latin America, North Africa and the Indian Ocean.
About the organizers
The American-Slovenian Educational Foundation (ASEF) is a foundation that connects Slovenian students, researchers and professionals around the world and provides them with research and educational opportunities. Through the ASEF Speaker Series, each month ASEF organises lectures by top experts who present their research and interesting findings.
Heri Sci – Young Experts for Heritage Science Slovenia is a non-profit organisation that brings together young researchers in various fields related to cultural heritage. It promotes interdisciplinary approaches that bridge the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering and digital sciences, contributing to a better understanding and preservation of cultural heritage.
The program is co-financed by the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad and the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth.