Project CIRMAR – Circulation of Materials and Resilience of Local Communities in Northern Italy in Late Antiquity

The CIRMAR project (Circulation of Materials and Resilience of Local Communities in Northern Italy in Late Antiquity) was funded by the 4EU+ Alliance through the SEED4EU+ program and involved three universities: Charles University (Dr. Helena Tůmová, project lead), the University of Milan (Prof. Emanuele E. Intagliata), and the University of Geneva (Prof. Lorenz E. Baumer). The aim of the project was to investigate the resilience of local communities in the face of social instability, climatic shifts, political crises, and economic transformations occurring between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (5th–8th century AD), through the analysis of material culture, particularly sculpture and ceramics.

In addition to the autoptic study of the artefacts, the project included minimally invasive chemical and petrographic analyses, as well as macroscopic autoptic analyses of a selection of sculptural material in white marble. Launched in January 2024, the one‑year project comprised two inter‑university meetings, a field survey, and the publication of the results in academic journals.