Ines Ferjan

Thesis title: The Roman Stone Trade in the Inland Balkans: Quarrying, Carving and Transport

Biography

Background

I completed my Bachelor of Arts at the University of Ljubljana in 2017 with a degree in Classics. My bachelor's thesis focused on the Athenian Acropolis in the Roman times, and the majority of the data was collected during my stay at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens during the fifth semester. After completing my undergraduate studies, I continued with postgraduate studies at the same university but changed my field and enrolled in the Archaeology department. During the course of this program, I specialized in Ancient Archaeology. I spent my second year as an exchange student at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where I was able to explore archaeological sites in ancient Macedonia necessary for my Master's research entitled Construction Characteristics of Sepulchral Architecture of Roman Period in Ancient Macedonia: Comparison with Roman Province Noricum and Šempeter in the Savinja Valley, for which I obtained my degree in 2020.

I am currently pursuing my doctoral degree in Edinburgh, where I am exploring the Roman stone trade in the inland Balkans, with a focus on quarrying, transport and carving techniques.

Qualifications

M.A. in Archaeology from the University of Ljubljana

B.A. in Classics from the University of Ljubljana

Undergraduate teaching

I tutor for Roman Art and Archaeology.

Research summary

My current research resolves around the Roman stone trade, with specific interests in quarrying, the Roman economy, Roman art, and architecture.

Current research interests

In the course of my research, I am examining local sources of stones and documenting the presence of imported stones in the inland Balkans. Through a typological examination of carved monuments, I aim to address questions related to workshop production, the dynamics between clients and producers, the quarry-to-workshop relationship, and provide insights into economic decision-making. Additionally, I aim to assess potential transportation routes. The goal is to enhance our understanding of stone use, transportation, and carving practices in the inland Balkans during the Roman period.

Papers delivered

'Terra, Mare, aut Fluvius: Evaluating Potential Roman Stone Trade Routes Leveraging Geospatial Models' at the XXV Symposium on Mediterranean Archaeology (SOMA), in ICUA Zadar, 2024.

'Terra aut fluvius: Potential Transport Routes for Imported Stone in the Inland Balkans' at the Postgraduate Research Seminar, University of Edinburgh, 2024.

'Terra aut fluvius: izbrani primeri potencialnih transportnih poti uvoženega kamna' at the XV. Grošljev Symposium De re oeconomia. Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, 2024.

'The Roman Sarcophagi Trade in the Inland Balkans: Local Production, Imports, and Transport' at the 14th International Young Archaeologists' Conference dedicated to the 160th anniversary of Ekvtime Takaishvili's birth. Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisti State University, Vardzia, 2023.

'The Late Iron Age to Early Roman transition from the perspective of stone architecture: Case studies from the inland Balkans' at the online workshop Into the Empire: New Approaches to the Late Iron Age to Early Roman Transition, University of Edinburgh, 2022.

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