Pia Šmalcelj Novaković was born in 1986. in Zagreb. She graduated archaeology at the Department of Archaeology (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb) with the theme „Early Medieval cemetery Otok near Vinkovci“ in 2012. and gained a master’s degree in Medieval archaeology. She enrolled in a postgraduate study in archaeology at the aforementioned faculty in 2013. At the Institute of Archaeology, Pia works as a young researcher on a Croatian Science Foundation project „LIFE ON ROMAN ROAD: communications, trade and identities on Roman roads in Croatia from 1st – 8th CE“ (mentor: Ivana Ožanić Roguljić). She participated on several archaeological excavations, of which the most important are: in 2012. and 2013. "Osijek-Courtyard of the Franciscan Monastery" (project "Antique Mursa and Medieval Osijek"), Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Department of Archaeology, in 2014. "Osijek-Park of Katarina Kosača", Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Department of Archaeology. During the 2014. and 2015. She was the author of syllabus and performer of the course "Introduction to Medieval Archaeology" as an external associate of the Department for Medieval Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. In 2016., Pia co-authored an exhibition “Late Avar Age cemetery on Gradina in Otok” (and accompanying monograph) in City museum of Vinkovci. Research interests of Pia Šmalcelj Novaković are Early Medieval Archaeology, Funeral archaeology of the time and especially Avar archaeology.