Stefania Manfio

I am a maritime archaeologist and current Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Anthropology. I specialize in the use of 3D visualizations, based on gaming technology, as a tool for the enhancement and dissemination of maritime heritage. My research explores how the social, craft, and biographical aspects of shipbuilding and the transportation of people can help us better understand the period of slavery and the transition to indenture. Moreover, I am broadly interested in understanding how the ‘vessel,’ the ship itself, is a vehicle of culture contact and how the study of the artifacts found in the shipwreck can give us information on life at sea and the relationships on-board. For my Ph.D., I am working on materials and shipwrecks from Mauritius, serving as an ideal case for Indian Ocean labor movements.
I am also involved in developing the Marine Spatial Plan for Mauritius, developing ways to integrate maritime heritage into the Blue Economy mandate and contribute to resilience in Small Island Developing States.
I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Ca’ Foscari, Venice. During my training in marine and underwater archaeology, I had the opportunity to participate in numerous underwater excavations in Veneto, Sicily, Puglia, Calabria, and Croatia.