Mariia Lobanova

Biography

Mariia is an archaeologist and museum professional from Odesa, Ukraine, currently working at the Odesa Archaeological Museum. Mariia’s academic interests focus on the prehistoric archaeology of the Northern Black Sea region, particularly the Chalcolithic (Copper Age) period, as well as ceramic artefacts and their production and use. In the museum, Mariia is closely involved in projects focused on documenting, digitising, and preserving archaeological collections, including creating digital archives and 3D models to make heritage more accessible.

Mariia currently works as the Acting Head of the Conservation and Science Department at Odesa Archaeological Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – the oldest archaeological museum in Ukraine. Odesa Archaeological Museum has an extensive collection of archaeological, numismatic, and archival items – with more than 160,000 inventory numbers and a large number of collections from field excavations.

Alongside research, Mariia is interested in finding creative ways to share archaeology with wider audiences. Mariia enjoys working on exhibitions, digital projects, and educational activities – including using reconstructed ancient board games in museum programmes to help people connect with the past in a more interactive way.

At the British Museum

During her time on the International Training Programme, Mariia was based in the Greece and Rome Department. Her UK Partner Placement was spent at Norfolk Museums Service.