Michele Stefanile

Underwater Archaeologist

Michele Stefanile collaborates to the MUSAS project as an underwater archaeologist. He obtained a PhD at the Università “L’Orientale” (Naples), where since 2011 he has been coordinating the Laboratory of Underwater and Naval Archaeology.

He studied and trained between Naples and Barcelona, participating in archaeological excavations in the Forum of Neapolis, Pompei, Pontecagnano, Caulon, Aversa, Etruria, Sicily, Abruzzo, and Spain, and took part in underwater archaeological missions in Catalonia on the wrecks of Deltebre I and Triunfante, in Calabria, and in the waters of Baiae. From 2011 to 2014 he led an Italian team during an underwater survey in Turkey. Since 2013 he has been a field director of the Southern Latium Underwater Survey, an underwater archaeology project dedicated to the documentation of submerged and semi-submerged sites of Southern Latium (Università di Napoli “L’Orientale” and Archaeological Superintendency  of Latium; scientific director Fabrizio Pesando; missions: maritime villa of Gianola; imperial villa of Tiberius in Sperlonga).

As a speaker, he took part in various conferences in Italy and abroad (USA, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, France, United Kingdom), and he has about 30 scientific publications and more than 300 educational articles to his credit. He writes regularly about archaeology and culture for The Huffington Post, for the monthly magazine ArcheoNews and for his blog “Archeologia Subacquea” (www.archeologiasubacquea.org), and he collaborates as a freelancer with various newspapers and online reviews, such as BBC History Italia, Sub, and Bolina. He has participated in the making of documentaries for Silver River, History Channel, and National Geographic. He leads the Archaeological Section of the Diving Center of Campi Flegrei, organises activities linked to the Underwater Park of Baiae, and participates in many research, education and training activities for underwater archaeology.