Research area

Mladen Mladenović, PhD, deals with the Late Antique, the Early Byzantine archaeology, and archaeozoology. His special scientific interests are the exploitation of animals in the indicated periods, the importance of animal husbandry, hunting, fishing in the economy of the settlement and the use of secondary animal products. He is also interested in the use of biomolecular analyses: stable isotope analysis and ancient DNA analysis to better understand aspects of food supply at archaeological sites.

Education

In 2024, he defended PhD thesis “Changes in animal exploitation strategies during the Late Antique period in Southeastern Europe: a case study of the Gamzigrad – Felix Romuliana site” at the Department of Archeology of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade.

In 2020, he enrolled in PhD academic studies at the Department of Archeology of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade

In 2020, he completed his master’s academic studies at the Department of Archeology of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade.

In 2019, he completed his bachelor’s academic studies at the Department of Archeology of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade

Employment

2025. Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade, Research Associate

2023. Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade- Research assistant

Memberсхипс

• SAD – Serbian Archaeological Association
• ICAZ – The International Council for Archaeozoology

Languages: English

Awards, scholarships and professional training

2024 – Best Poster Award at the 2nd Medieval Period Working Group Meeting of the International Council for Archaeozoology (ICAZ) (2–6 October, Sofia, Bulgaria)

2021–2023. Scholarship holder of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia

2021–2023. Winner of the award for young talents of the Municipality of Lebane

Participation in international conferences

• 31st EAA (European Association of Archaeologists) Annual Meeting, 2nd – 6th September 2025, Belgrade, Serbia, Virtual.
• 4th International Congress on Roman Bioarchaeology (ICORB), Zagreb, Croatia, 31st August – 2nd September 2025.
• 2nd ICAZ Medieval Period Working Group Meeting, 2–6. October 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria.
• 4th ICAZ Roman Period Working Group Meeting, 9–12th April 2024, Belgrade, Serbia.
• MonBones – Reconstructing Past Monastic Life. Inferences from Archaeological, Bioanthropological and Documentary Perspectives, 26–27. January 2024, Barcelona, Spain.
• PZAF – Post Graduatee ZooArchaeology Forum, 24–26. May 2023, Zagreb, Croatia.
• 9^th PZAF – – Post Graduatee ZooArchaeology Forum, 25–27 June 2021, Belgrade, Serbia, Virtual
• ICAZ-Zooarchaeology of the Roman Period – 3rd Working Group Meeting: Animals in the Roman Economy: production, supply, and trade within and beyond the Empire’s frontiers, online, 11–12 March 2021.

Participation in national conferences

• Serbian Archaeological Society 2022 – Regular autumn meeting of the Medieval Section
• Serbian Archaeological Society 2019, 2024, 2025
• A step into science, the twelfth conference of participants of the research station Petnica, November 29 – December 1, 2013, Valjevo.

Bibliography:

Chapters in monographs and edited volumes:

• Mladenović, T., Mladenović, M., Kajtez, I. 2025. An insight into dietary habits at the Monastery of St Barbara (south-western Serbia) during the early modern period: a zooarchaeological perspective, in: Lloveras, L., Rissech, C., Nadal, J., Banks, P., Reconstructing Past Monastic Life Volume 2: Diet, Landscape and Monastic Space. New Trends from Archaeological, Bioanthropological and Documentary Perspectives, Oxford/ Philadelphia: Oxbow, 73–82.
• Mladenović, M., Bondžulić, K. 2024. The Dark Side of Animal Labor: Unveiling the exploitation of beasts of burden in the territory of present-day Serbia during the Late Antique and the Early Byzantine periods – an archaeozoological perspective, in Marković, D., Mladenović, T. (eds), Case studies in European Zooarchaeology, BAR, Oxford

Papers in scientific journals:

• Mladenović, T., Mladenović, M., Bulić, D. 2026. The Koznik fortress menu: archaeozoological insights into the diet during the late medieval and early modern periods, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports,72, 105784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105784%20Get%20rights%20and%20content
• Mladenović, M., Mladenović, T., Janković, J. 2025. Unravelling the story of animal exploitation in the territory of present-day Serbia during Late Antiquity – an archaeozoological overview, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 64, 105168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105168
• Mladenović, M., Pop–Lazić, S. 2023. Animal management in the fortified palace Felix Romuliana – Gamzigrad (Serbia) throughout the Late Antique and the Early Byzantine periods, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 49, 103963 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103963
• Krajcarz, M., Krajcarz, M., Baca, M., Golubiński, M., Bielichová, Z., Bulatović, J., Csippán, P., Dimitrijević V., Kyselý, R., Makowiecki, D., Marciszak, D., Marković, N., Mladenović, M., Van Neer, W., Obada, T., Živaljević, I., Bulatović, A., Ivanišević, V., Pop-Lazić, S., Mihailović, D., Ostasz, A., Penezić, K., Tasić, N., Špehar, P., Wilczyński, J., and Popović, D. 2022. The history of the domestic cat in Central Europe, Antiquity https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2022.128
• Grašar, J., Mladenović, M., Gavrilović, A., Grujić, D., Đerković, P., Perić, P., Ilić, I. 2021. Archaeology workshop as an educational approach in communication with the public – case study Roman games in Ptuj, Archaeology and Science 17, Belgrade: Center for New Technology Institute of Archaeology, 135–145.
• Мladenović, T., Mladenović, M. 2020. Animal exploitation in the territory of present-day Serbia during the Medieval period: a zooarchaeological perspective, in Marković, N., Bulatović, J. (eds), Animal Husbandry and Hunting in Southeast Europe through Time, Oxford: Archaeopress, 167­–186.
• Kukić, M., Mladenović, M. 2014. Strategija ishrane na lokalitetu Jerinin grad – Brangović, Petničke sveske 72 (2013), Valjevo: Valjevoprint, 473–479.