Elena Leghissa, PhD
Research Associate
+386 1 4706 394
elena.leghissa@zrc-sazu.si
Research interests
Elena Leghissa is a Research Associate at the Institute of Archaeology ZRC SAZU. Her research is focused on the Copper and Bronze Ages, primarily in the south-eastern Alpine and Adriatic regions, with particular emphasis on the pile-dwelling culture of the Ljubljansko barje. She is engaged in archaeometric analyses of prehistoric pottery and in the study of mobility and exchange in prehistory. In recent years, she has led and participated in several research and development projects, including the On-piles project, within which the interpretation centre Morostig – House of Nature and Piles was established, as well as a postdoctoral project dedicated to the dynamics of exchange and mobility in the Ljubljansko barje. A significant part of her work is also devoted to the interpretation and presentation of archaeological heritage to the wider public.
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Education
- B. Sc. in archaeology 2011, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
- Ph. D. in archaeology 2017, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
Periods of stay abroad
- 2023–2025: participation in archaeological research at the cave site Tina Jama in Italy, in collaboration with Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the Multidisciplinary Laboratory “Abdus Salam” International Centre for Theoretical Physics, and the Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio per il Friuli Venezia Giulia in Trieste (total of seven months)
- 2018–present: collaboration as a visiting researcher with the Multidisciplinary Laboratory “Abdus Salam” International Centre for Theoretical Physics (collaboration with Prof. Dr Federico Bernardini) and the University of Trieste (collaboration with Prof. Dr Manuela Montagnari Kokelj, Prof. Dr Angelo De Min, and Dr Matteo Velicogna)
- 2018–present: collaboration with the Budapest Neutron Centre (Budapest, Hungary) (collaboration with Dr Zsolt Kasztovszky and colleagues)
- 2016: two-month research training at the Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio per il Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Museo d'Antichità JJ Winckelmann in Trieste (Italy)
- 2016: one-week research training in Vukovar (Museum of Vučedol Culture, Vukovar Municipal Museum), Vinkovci (Vinkovci Municipal Museum), and Osijek (Museum of Slavonia) (Croatia)
- 2016: two-week research training at the Institut für Prähistorische Archäologie, Freie Universität Berlin (Germany)
Research interests
- Copper and Bronze Age archaeology in the south-eastern Alpine region
- Study of prehistoric ceramic finds
- Mobility and migration in the Copper and Bronze Ages
- Archaeometric studies of ceramic finds from the Stone, Copper, and Bronze Ages
- Pile-dwelling heritage of the Ljubljansko barje
- Material culture of prehistoric pile dwellings in the Ljubljansko barje
- Interpretation and presentation of pile-dwelling heritage
Teaching
- 2024–2028: co-supervisor of doctoral student Ines Nabernik Bošnjak (University of York, supervisor: Dr Lara González Carretero)
- 2025: invited lecture at the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, within the course Archaeology of the Metal Ages (theoretical and practical components)
- 2025: invited lecture at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Primorska, within the course Archaeology of the Neolithic and Eneolithic
Organisation of scientific meetings
- 2025: co-organisation of the scientific session Reflections of Vučedol Culture. Chrono-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Perspectives within the international conference EAA 2025 in Belgrade (co-organisers: Jacqueline Balen, Ina Miloglav, and Federico Bernardini)
- 2024–2025: co-organisation of Open Days at the Tina Jama site (co-organisers: Federico Bernardini, Marco Rodriguez, Alessandra Maria Rodriguez, Marco del Piccolo, and the Trieste Alpine Club / Club Alpinistico Triestino)
- 2024: co-organisation (with Manca Vinazza) of the round table Skills of Prehistoric Potters through the Lens of Archaeological Methodology, Ljubljana
Exhibitions
- Morostig – House of Nature and Piles – Result of the On-piles project – Interpretation of biodiversity and pile-dwelling heritage of the Ljubljansko barje, led by the Municipality of Ig in cooperation with the Ljubljana Marsh Nature Park Public Institute and ZRC SAZU (Anton Melik Geographical Institute and Institute of Archaeology)
- An Enormous Find - First Pile Dwellings discovery on Ljubljana Marsh (co-author: Dejan Veranič), various venues in Slovenia (2015–2017)
- Impressions into the Past: Research of deocration on the pottery from Pile-Dwellings (co-authors: Igor Ravbar, Boštjan Laharnar), National Museum of Slovenia, Ljubljana (2015)
Membership
- 2023–present: member of the Expert Commission for Archaeological Research at the Ministry of Culture (SKAR)
Selected publications
2025
- LEGHISSA, Elena, JANČAR, Mojca, MERELA, Maks,KRŽE, Luka, ŠTULAR, Benjamin, VELUŠČEK, Anton, ČUFAR, Katarina, The Špica pile-dwelling site - analyses of archaeological wood / Koliščarska naselbina Špica - raziskave arheološkega lesa. − Les / Wood 73/2, 75−92 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26614/les-wood.2024.v73n02a07
- LEGHISSA, Elena, PLESTENJAK, Ana, Bronastodobni najdišči Kavci in Repovnice pri Vodicahna Gorenjskem (Bronze Age Sites of Kavci and Repovnice near Vodicein Gorenjska). − Arheološki vestnik 76. DOI: DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AV.76.04 (forthcoming issue)
2024
- LEGHISSA E., M. JANČAR, M. MERELA, L. KRŽE, B. ŠTULAR, A. VELUŠČEK, K. ČUFAR, The Špica pile-dwelling site – analyses of archaeological wood. − Les/Wood 73/2, 2024, 75−92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26614/les-wood.2024.v73n02a07
- BERNARDINI, F., MONTAGNARI KOKELJ, M., VELICOGNA, M., BARAGO, N., LENAZ, D., De MIN, A., LEGHISSA, E., Continuity and Innovation in Pottery Technology: The Karst Region (North-East Italy) from Neolithic to Early Bronze Age. − Heritage 7(6), 2024, 2959−2983. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7060139
- BERNARDINI, Federico, De MIN, Angelo, VELICOGNA, Matteo, ROFFET-SALQUE, Mélanie, KISS, Viktória, KASZTOVSZKY, Zs, MARÓTI, Boglarka, SZILÁGYI, Veronika, MELIS, Eszter, LEGHISSA, Elena 2024, Provenance, technology and possible function of Gáta–Wieselburg vessels from the Trieste Karst (northeastern Italy). − Archaeometry. 10.1111/arcm.12953.
2023
- LEGHISSA, Elena, De MIN Angelo, KASZTOVSZKY, Zsolt, SZILÁGYI, Veronika, VELICOGNA, Matteo, VINAZZA, Manca, BERNARDINI, Federico 2023, Arheometrične analize poznobakrenodobne keramike z Ljubljanskega barja: preučevanje dinamike izmenjave in mobilnosti v 3. tisočletju pr. n. št. − Študije keramike v Sloveniji, Ljubljana, [15].
- LEGHISSA, Elena, ŠMIT, Žiga, BREZIGAR, Barbara, SVETLIČIČ, Vesna, TURK, Peter, The earliest glass from the territory of Slovenia, Documenta Praehistorica 50, 2023, 2-11. DOI: 10.4312/dp.50.20.
- BERNARDINI, Federico, PIPAN, Michele, FORTE, Emauele, LEGHISSA, Elena, CALOSI, Massimo, FURLANI, Stefano, HUNTER BROKING, Samantha, LOIACONO, Roberta, MACOVAZ, Vanja, Trmun (north-eastern Italy): Multi-scale remote and ground-based sensing of a Bronze Age and post-Roman fortification, 2023, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 51 (2023) 104108. DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104108.
- LEGHISSA, Elena, ANDRIČ, Maja, TOLAR, Tjaša, TOŠKAN, Borut, VELUŠČEK, Anton, Reviving the heritage of pile dwellings in the Ljubljansko barje: reconstruction of a pile-dwelling settlement from the 3rd millennium BC. – Museoeurope 8, Srečanja tisočletij / The convergence of millennia, Maribor, 333–343.
- LEGHISSA, Elena, ANDRIČ, Maja, TOLAR, Tjaša, TOŠKAN, Borut, VELUŠČEK, Anton, Obujena koliščarska dediščina na Ljubljanskem barju. – Arheo 39, Srečanja tisočletij / The convergence of millennia, Maribor, 203–207.
2021
- VELUŠČEK, Anton, LEGHISSA, Elena, TOLAR, Tjaša, Stare gmajne pri Verdu. Arheološko najdišče presežkov. − Palafittes, Pfahlbauten, Palafitte, Kolišča, Pile Dwellings, News 21, 2021, 100−105.
- MONTAGNARI KOKELJ, Emanuela, BERNARDINI, Federico, LEGHISSA, Elena. Eneolitico e carso triestino : dati e problemi aperti. V: MUSCIO, Giuseppe (ur.), et al. Antichi abitatori delle grotte in Friuli : [la prehistoria nelle cavità delle Prealpi Giulie]. [Udine]: Comune di Udine - Castello di Udine: Civici Musei, Museo Archeologico: Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale, 2021. Str. 211-224, ilustr., zvd. ISBN 978-88-88192-6-80. [COBISS.SI-ID 74423043]
- LEGHISSA, Elena, MONTAGNARI KOKELJ, Emanuela, BERNARDINI, Federico. Le coppe su piede del Carso triestino : contatti e scambi nel III millennio a.C. tra Caput Adriae ed Europa Centrale. V: MUSCIO, Giuseppe (ur.), et al. Antichi abitatori delle grotte in Friuli : [la prehistoria nelle cavità delle Prealpi Giulie]. [Udine]: Comune di Udine - Castello di Udine: Civici Musei, Museo Archeologico: Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale, 2021. Str. 227-243, ilustr., zvd. ISBN 978-88-88192-6-80. [COBISS.SI-ID 74424067]
- BERNARDINI, Federico (avtor, fotograf), LEGHISSA, Elena, MONTAGNARI KOKELJ, Emanuela. Asce forate in pietra levigata e altri indicatori di scambi e contatti ne Caput Adriae tra IV e III millenio a.C. V: MUSCIO, Giuseppe (ur.), et al. Antichi abitatori delle grotte in Friuli : [la prehistoria nelle cavità delle Prealpi Giulie]. [Udine]: Comune di Udine - Castello di Udine: Civici Musei, Museo Archeologico: Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale, 2021. Str. 245-255, ilustr., zvd. ISBN 978-88-88192-6-80. [COBISS.SI-ID 74424835]
- MONTAGNARI KOKELJ, Emanuela, LEGHISSA, Elena, BERNARDINI, Federico. Typology is not enough : how archaeological science contributes to a better reconstruction of the Copper Age/Early Bronze Age in the Caput Adriae and beyond. V: MUSCIO, Giuseppe (ur.), et al. Antichi abitatori delle grotte in Friuli : [la prehistoria nelle cavità delle Prealpi Giulie]. [Udine]: Comune di Udine - Castello di Udine: Civici Musei, Museo Archeologico: Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale, 2021. Str. 249-260, zvd., ilustr. ISBN 978-88-88192-6-80. [COBISS.SI-ID 76871171]
2020
- LEGHISSA E., Deschmann’s pile-dwelling sites near Ig and the cultural-chronological attribution of the Late Copper Age Ljubljana culture / Kulturna in časovna umestitev poznobakrenodobne ljubljanske kulture na Dežmanovih koliščih pri Igu, Arheološki vestnik 72, 2021, 7−51. doi: https://doi.org/10.3986/AV.72.01
- LEGHISSA E., KASZTOVSZKY Z., SZILÁGYI V., HARSÁNYI I., De MIN A., PRINCIVALLE F., MONTAGNARI KOKELJ M., BERNARDINI F. 2020, Late-Copper-Age decorated bowls from the Trieste Karst (north-eastern Italy): What can typology, technology and non-destructive chemical analyses tell us on local vs. foreign production, exchange systems and human mobility patterns?, in «Quaternary International», 539, 92−104
Before 2020
- BERNARDINI F., LEGHISSA E., PROKOP D., VELUŠČEK A., De MIN A., DREOSSI D., DONATO S., TUNIZ C., PRINCIVALLE F., MONTAGNARI KOKELJ M. 2019, X-ray computed microtomography of Late Copper Age decorated bowls with cross-shaped foots from central Slovenia and the Trieste Karst (North-Eastern Italy): technology and paste characterisation, in «Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences», 11, 4711−4728.
- LEGHISSA, Elena. Od prve fotografije do prve radiokarbonske datacije : Vučedolska koliščarska naselbina na Ljubljanskem barju = From the first photo to the first radiocarbon date : a Vučedol pile dwelling site in the Ljubljansko barje. V: ČREŠNAR, Matija (ur.), VINAZZA, Manca (ur.). Srečanja in vplivi v raziskovanju bronaste in železne dobe na Slovenskem : zbornik prispevkov v čast Bibi Teržan. 1. izd. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. 2018, 39−52.
- LEGHISSA, Elena. Način okraševanja keramike ljubljanske kulture in pramenaste keramike – eksperimentalna arheologija / Decorating the pottery of the Ljubljana culture and the Litzen pottery – an experimental archaeology case study, Arheološki vestnik 66, 2015, 275–292.
Selected projects
PROGRAMME: Archaeological research (2015−2021) (research programme • January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2021)
Bridging the GAP between Geological, Archaeological and Palynological studies (interdisciplinary project • January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2027)
Exchange and mobility dynamics at Ljubljansko barje: Late Copper age pile-dwelling Špica in Ljubljana (postdoctoral research project • November 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024)
Na-kolih - Interpretation of Biodiversity and Heritage of Pile Dwellings in the Ljubljana Marshes (July 1, 2019 - November 30, 2022)
Bridging the GAP between Geological, Archaeological and Palynological studies (interdisciplinary project • January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2027)
Exchange and mobility dynamics at Ljubljansko barje: Late Copper age pile-dwelling Špica in Ljubljana (postdoctoral research project • November 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024)
Na-kolih - Interpretation of Biodiversity and Heritage of Pile Dwellings in the Ljubljana Marshes (July 1, 2019 - November 30, 2022)