Maria Hadiji The Perpetuation of the Cult of the Danubian Knights in the Mythology of the Balkan Peninsula

Maria Hadiji

Academic Title: PhD in History

Fields of Expertise: History, Ethnography, Museology, Traditional Pottery, Art.

Author of several historical monographs published both in Romania and abroad, ethnographic studies and catalogues, as well as scientific articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals (BDI-indexed).

Co-author of numerous ethnographic studies and catalogues, aimed at promoting and valorizing museum heritage.

Specialist in: The organization and conceptualization of museum and cultural exhibitions, with extensive experience in the field of cultural heritage, ethnography, and the promotion of Banat traditions. Skilled in coordinating interdisciplinary projects, demonstrative workshops, and promoting intangible cultural heritage through innovative methods and complex field-based research projects (2011–2025), focusing on the identification of rituals, crafts, cultural communication networks, and identity-related aspects.

Publications and Relevant Research

Monographs

• The Cult of the Danubian Horsemen – with a special focus on the province of Dacia, Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2023
• The Perpetuation of the Cult of the Danubian Horsemen in the Mythology of the Balkan Peninsula. Perspectives and Hypotheses, Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2023
• Lapidarium – An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Cult of the Danubian Horsemen, Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2024

Ethnographic Books and Catalogues (Sole Author)

• Jupânești Pottery (I): Ritual Pottery, Eurostampa, Timișoara, 2011
• Jupânești Pottery (II): Large Capacity Vessels, Eurostampa, Timișoara, 2013
• Jupânești Pottery (III): Everyday Pottery. Storage Vessels, Eurostampa, Timișoara, 2014
• Jupânești Pottery (IV): Everyday Pottery. Vessels for Storing and Transporting Liquids, Eurostampa, Timișoara, 2016
• The Window Icon. Icon Painter Nicolae Muneanu, bilingual edition, Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2023

Ethnographic Books and Catalogues (Co-author/Collaborative Works)

• Banat Ornaments. Sign and Symbol (I): Ceremonial Ornaments, bilingual edition, Cosmopolitanart, Timișoara, 2010
• Naive Painting from Banat, bilingual edition, Armanis Publishing House, Astra County Library, Timișoara–Sibiu, 2022
• Glass Icons from Banat, bilingual edition, Armanis, Timișoara–Sibiu, 2022
• Banat Village Museum – Presentation Catalogue, Eurostampa, 2023
• Banat Folkloric ABC, Eurostampa, Timișoara

Articles in International Scientific Journals (BDI-indexed)

• Carasoveni – Ethnic Enclaves in Banat, in Tyragetia, Chișinău, 2024
• The Craft of Pottery in Banat. Case Study: Jupânești, in Akademos, Chișinău, 2025
• The Community of Ukrainians in Romania: Case Study Târnova, in Dialogica, Chișinău, 2025

Articles in National Specialized Journals (Selected, BDI-indexed)

Published studies and articles in: Apulum, Analele Banatului, Sargetia, Qvaestiones Romanicae – topics include: the cult of the Danubian horsemen, Roman crafts, religion in Dacia, museology, ethnography, etc.

Peer-Reviewed Articles in National and Cross-border Journals or Edited Volumes

Published articles in: Tibiscum, BHAUT, Studii de Istorie a Banatului,Social Processes and Identity Contexts among Minorities in Romania,Memory of the Romanian Village, Timisiensis, Nedeia, Minority in Europe: History, Memory, Destiny, Lumina, Theatrum Civitatis Journal, etc. Main topics: the cult of the Danubian horsemen, Roman crafts, religion in Dacia, minority communities in Romania, ethnography, museology, culture, and art.