Hello! My name is Savanna Davis, and I am a second-year master’s student in the historic preservation program here at CED.
This Maymester, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad on the Croatia: Heritage Conservation and Archaeology program, led by Professor Cari Goetcheus and Dr. Jordan Pickett. Throughout our time in Croatia and Venice, my classmates and I had the opportunity to analyze the interactions between nature and culture and learn about preservation efforts abroad through hands-on experience. One of my favorites of these activities that connected nature and culture was truffle hunting in the forest with a professional truffle-hunting dog, followed by eating dishes with truffles from the same forest. Through this experience, we had the privilege of participating in a historic, intangible cultural practice and then eating the material culture associated with it (which was SO delicious)!
Another favorite activity of mine was creating flowers from crepe paper with locals of a small village in northern Croatia. This practice of paper flower making is on the UNESCO World Intangible Heritage list. Participating in this historic practice with local women who were passionate about this tradition’s preservation was truly a highlight of the trip. While the flower-making skills of the local women put our abilities to shame, the experience was one I will never forget. By learning a tradition first-hand, I gained a whole new perspective on intangible cultural heritage and its preservation.
I also learned so much about differences in preservation practices abroad through the museums we visited. My favorite was the UNESCO International Center for Underwater Archaeology. Not only did we see artifacts from underwater archaeological sites, such as shipwrecks or settlements that have been swallowed by rising ocean levels over hundreds of years, but we were also given a tour of the facilities in which they treat these artifacts before displaying them. It was fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes of the museum and learn how wood, metal, and ceramic artifacts, all damaged from the ocean, are preserved and prepared for display.
By visiting Croatia and Venice this Maymester, I gained so much insight into preservation practices and what kind of preservation I want to do, all while having fun and learning about a new culture. The Croatia: Heritage Conservation and Archaeology program is an amazing experience I would recommend to any CED student interested in preservation!
The heritage of a nation, of a people, encompasses both past and present, the tangible and intangible. It is reflected in ancient monuments and contemporary art, in medieval street patterns and modern architecture, in traditional foods and the latest fashion in music, and the ways in which people interact with their environment. Heritage is complicated, and so are nations. The Croatia Maymester Abroad is an exploration of Croatian heritage, its storied past from Roman antiquity to the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s , its exciting present. Learn more about studying abroad in Croatia.
