Darko Kovačević (archaeologist)

Darko Kovacevic
Born	(1980-05-18) May 18, 1980 Užice, Serbia
Alma mater	University of Novi Sad University of Alexandria
Occupation(s)	Maritime archaeology, Underwater archaeology
Employer	University of Montenegro
Known for	Digital documentation of cultural heritage, WRECKS4ALL project, founder of Laboratory of Maritime Archaeology and Center of Archaeology
Awards	Developing the Discipline Award, Honor Frost Foundation (2014)

Darko Kovačević (born 18 May 1980, in Užice, Serbia) is a Serbian maritime archaeologist. His work integrates academic research, project development, and immersive technologies.^[1][2][3] His career includes institutional capacity building, the development of research units, particularly in Malta and Montenegro.^[4][5][6]

As a teenager, Kovačević contributed to the independent cultural scene through fanzine publication and work in local radio.^[7] He was a paragliding pilot and an amateur radio operator.^[8] He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in History from the University of Novi Sad. He completed a master's degree in Maritime archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage at the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage at the University of Alexandria, Egypt, focusing on Late antiquity and the Early Middle Ages of the Middle East and North Africa region.^[9] He also holds a postgraduate diploma in Geomatics and has received specialized training in GIS, photogrammetry, and remote sensing. He is a certified scuba diving instructor and a technical diver.^[10]

Kovačević began his career as a tour guide and scuba diving instructor in Greece, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.^[9] Educated in history and diving he was introduced to underwater archaeology on the island of Thasos, Greece.^[8]

Kovačević participated in international research projects in Egypt, Lebanon, Greece, Israel, Croatia and Malta. In Egypt, he was a member of the Hellenic Institute for Ancient and Medieval Alexandrian Studies.^[9] He conducted a project supported by the Honor Frost Foundation^[11] researching in Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. His work focused on the transition from Christianity to Islam and its impact on seafaring, ship construction, and port systems between the 6th and 12th centuries.^[9]

In Greece, he participated in the excavation of the Mycenaean shipwreck off the coast of Modi, Poros, with the Hellenic Institute for Maritime Archaeology (IENAE). He worked on the Fournoi underwater survey, documenting numerous shipwreck sites, and participated in the excavation of the 16th-century Gnalić shipwreck with the University of Zadar. Kovačević was involved in the Delos Underwater Survey Project, conducted by the French Archaeological School and the University of Birmingham.^[12] In Lebanon, Kovačević served as a field underwater archaeologist and Dive Safety Officer at the Anfeh excavation project led by the University of Balamand, contributing to photogrammetry, daily site documentation, and safety oversight.^[13][14]

As part of Novo lice Ćele-kule ("A New Face for the Skull Tower"), a heritage initiative in Serbia, Kovačević`s role focused on the 3D scanning and recording of the skulls, a baseline documentation for facial reconstruction and the digital preservation of this monument.^[15][16]

He was a visiting lecturer at Aix Marseille University, Akdeniz University.^[17] In November 2024, Kovačević was a visiting lecturer at the Naval School of Cadets "Almirante Padilla" in Colombia, contributing to the capacity building for an interinstitutional research project "Towards the Heart of the San José (galleon)". He delivered a module titled "Archaeology of Deep Waters", focusing on the application of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) in the study of underwater cultural heritage.

In Malta, Kovačević served as a Research Support Officer and visiting lecturer at the University of Malta.^{[18] [19]} He later assumed the role of Professional Officer and Executive Maritime Archaeologist at Heritage Malta, where he worked at the operationalization of the Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit.^[5] His responsibilities included unit development, implementing Malta's underwater museum concept, conducting remote sensing surveys using AUVs, and participating in developing strategies for site documentation and public accessibility.^[5] Kovačević was involved in projects such as the Liberator B-24 aircraft human remains recovery, and the Phoenician shipwreck excavation at Xlendi, Gozo.^[5][18]

As Senior Leading Maritime Archaeologist at ISRT Missing Persons, Kovačević engaged in the international search and recovery missions through his expertise in remote sensing survey, forensic documentation, and archaeological recovery.^[10]

In Montenegro, Darko Kovačević has contributed to the institutional development of underwater archaeology^[20] and the digitization of cultural heritage,^[21] through projects that supported national capacity building for the research, protection, and promotion of submerged cultural resources.^[22][23][24]

He was a member of the Budva Boka 2028 European Capital of Culture team, responsible for EU projects and academic cooperation.^[25] His role focused on risk mitigation by aligning project concepts with external EU funding mechanisms.^[26] As a team member he participated in the final selection meeting with the EU panel of independent cultural experts at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education and Culture.^[27][25]

Kovačević developed and coordinated the WRECKS4ALL project with the team of the University of Montenegro.^[23][28][29] WRECKS4ALL was a cross-border EU-funded initiative focused on the digital preservation, protection, and sustainable promotion of underwater cultural heritage in the Adriatic region.^[30] The project employed 3D digitization, virtual and augmented reality,^[31] to make submerged archaeological sites accessible to both divers and non-divers.^[32] Kovačević directed activities such as stakeholder mapping, institutional capacity analysis, digitization of shipwrecks, and public engagement campaigns.^{[29] [33]} He also advised policy on improving the protection and valorization of Montenegro's underwater cultural heritage.^[1][34] Kovačević led the capitalization of this project concept,^[35] WRECKS4ALL 2.0,^[36] focusing on knowledge transfer, regional stakeholder training, and the creation of new cross-border action plans related to underwater heritage.^{[37][38][39][40]}

As an impact of the WRECKS4ALL project, Kovačević founded the Laboratory of Maritime Archaeology at the University of Montenegro,^[41][33] which marked a first phase in the development of archaeology as a scientific discipline at the University of Montenegro.^[24] It is the country's first dedicated research unit for underwater archaeology.^{[18] [42][28]} Under Kovačević's leadership, the Laboratory launched the national project "Underwater Cultural Landscapes of Montenegro",^[43][44] which created a comprehensive digital inventory of the country's underwater cultural heritage and provided guidance to governmental institutions on its legal protection and sustainable use.^{[45][46][47][28]} As a research start-up of the University of Montenegro, Laboratory has digitized Montenegro's underwater cultural heritage contributing to its preservation.^[48] The laboratory's work is supported by membership in the UNESCO UNITWIN Network.^[49]

Following the establishment of Laboratory of Maritime Archaeology, Kovačević contributed to the further establishment of the archaeological science through the development of the Center of Archaeology at the Institute for Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies.^[37] The Center is a foundation for the development of archaeological research structures, infrastructure, and team growth. The Center is focused on the utilization of modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, remote sensing, extended reality, GIS, and robotics^[50] It is envisioned to evolve into the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Montenegro, with a sustainable research team.^[37]

• Developing the Discipline Award, Honor Frost Foundation (2014)^[11]