2026 International Conferences Announcement
The International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar (ICUA Zadar) will host two international events in 2026. The first is the scientific conference Europa Postmediaevalis 2026, scheduled to take place from 14 to 16 April at the St. Nicholas Education and Presentation Centre of Underwater Archaeology. This biennial conference, launched in Prague in 2018 and jointly organized by the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Centre for Processing, Documentation and Recording of Archaeological Finds, has become one of Europe’s key gatherings for specialists exploring ceramic vessels and their trade routes.
In 2026, ICUA Zadar proudly hosts the fifth edition under the inspiring theme “Fragments of Buried Stories.” Participants will dive into the world of post medieval archaeology, with sessions dedicated to pipes, pottery, stove tiles, and the material culture that shaped Europe’s past. The Department of Archaeology at the University of Zadar joins ICUA Zadar as an official partner, strengthening the event’s academic reach. More than thirty leading experts from across Europe have already confirmed their attendance, promising a vibrant exchange of ideas, discoveries, and research. The conference will be open to the public, offering a rare opportunity for anyone interested in history, archaeology, or cultural heritage to experience cutting edge scholarship firsthand.
ICUA Zadar will host the ICOM ICMAH Annual Conference (International Committee for Museums and Collections of Archaeology and History) from 28 to 30 October 2026. The conference will address many challenges of preserving and presenting underwater cultural heritage, emphasizing the collaborative work needed to bring the hidden world beneath the sea closer to the public. Sessions will follow the full journey of underwater finds - from their recovery on the seabed to their interpretation in museum spaces - while also examining how changing marine and coastal environments affect submerged archaeological sites. Participants will explore cutting edge technologies used for mapping and documenting these sites and discuss strategies to prevent the looting of underwater cultural heritage.
The conference will be held in Croatia for the first time, organized in cooperation with ICOM ICMAH, ICOM Croatia, the Museum of Ancient Glass, the Archaeological Museum in Zadar, the Department of Archaeology at the University of Zadar, and the Camille Jullian Centre (CNRS). The Call for Papers is now available on the ICOM ICMAH website. Abstracts may be submitted until 20 February 2026, with acceptance notifications issued on 20 March 2026.
Further details can be found at: https://www.europapostmed.eu and https://icmah.mini.icom.museum.