Biography

Welcome! I’m an archaeologist, currently working at the Laboratory for Traceology and Controlled Experiments (TraCEr) at MONREPOS (https://monrepos.leiza.de/en), LEIZA (https://www.leiza.de). I’m also an Affiliated Researcher at the ICArEHB (http://www.icarehb.com).

I’m interested in unravelling early hominin technological evolution, with a special fascination for understanding how stone tools were designed, produced, and used. I found it intriguing how technological choices made in the past guided us to what we are today. To investigate this topic, I focus on artefact analysis, laboratory experiments, and excavation of palaeolithic sites.

This independent website is about my research on Pleistocene Archaeology! The main aim is to disseminate my research, and share data and details about my projects in the lab and field. Feel free to get in touch!

I’ll regularly update this site with news on my projects, brief intros to my most recent published papers and other research material. You can also find me online on Twitter, GitHub and ResearchGate.

Interests

  • Stone tool production, design and use
  • Past hominin technological innovations
  • Palaeolithic archaeology
  • Archaeological survey and excavation methods
  • Robots in experimental archaeology

Education

  • Post-doctoral fellowsip, 2014-2017

    ICArEHB and CSCI (Institución Milá y Fontanals)

  • PhD in Prehistoric Archaeology, 2010-2013

    Universidade do Algarve

  • MA in Archaeology, 2007-2009

    Universidade do Algarve

  • BA in Cultural Heritage, 2003-2007

    Universidade do Algarve

Experience

Professional appointments

 
 
 
 
 

Research Group Leader

TraCEr, MONREPOS, Leibniz Zentrum für Archaeologie.

Jan 2017 – Present Neuwied, Germany
 
 
 
 
 

Adjunct Lecture

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität

Jan 2017 – Present Mainz, Germany
 
 
 
 
 

Associated researcher

ICArEHB, International research Centre for archaeology and evolution of Human behavior

Jan 2017 – Present Faro, Portugal
 
 
 
 
 

Postodoctoral fellow

ICArEHB, UAlg & IMF-CSCI

Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 Faro, Portugal & Barcelona, Spain
 
 
 
 
 

Visiting Assistant Professor

Universidade do Algarve. Faculdade das Ciências Humanas e Sociais

Jan 2013 – Dec 2017 Faro, Portugal
 
 
 
 
 

PhD candidate

ICArEHB, UAlg

Jan 2010 – Dec 2013 Faro, Portugal

Accomplishments

Research grants and fellowships

NeanderCloud, New and old technologies to understand MP human tool technology, design, and use

Innovations, On the origins of human technological innovations, the Late Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in the Levant

StoneUseWear, Using controlled experiments and 3D data quantification to understand stone use-wear formation

The contribution of use-wear and residue analysis for the study of the Earliest Anatomically Modern Humans in Southwestern Iberian Peninsula

The lithic organization and variability during the Gavettian in the Iberian Peninsula

Recent Posts

Welcome

Hi everyone! Welcome to my personal webpage. Here you can find the most recent news about my research on Palaeolithic Archaeology. This website aims at disseminating my research, including my research interests, recent published papers, projects, news, opportunities, etc. I’ll try to keep it up to date as much as I can! Please, keep in touch in case you have questions or share similar research interests.

Publications

10 most recent publications

Quickly discover relevant content by filtering publications.

A ‘Family of Wear’: Traceological Patterns on Pebbles Used for Burnishing Pots and Processing Other Plastic Mineral Matters

This study combines experiments and ethnographic studies to investigate how stone had-oc tools were selected and used in specific techniques applied to the production of plastic mineral matter. We use confocal microscopy to identify and quantify the traces of use left during these processes and later compare with those found on archaeological artefacts from the Late Natufian in the Levant.

Chimpanzee wooden tool analysis advances the identification of percussive technology

The ability of humans to mediate environmental variation through tool use is likely the key to our success. However, our current …

Enhancing lithic analysis: Introducing 3D-EdgeAngle as a semi-automated 3D digital method to systematically quantify stone tool edge angle and design

In this paper we presente a new method, semi-automated, to measure and calculate the variability of the edge of stone tools’ edges. 3D-EdgeAngle calculates the edge angle at any point in a high resolution and scale of analysis, and helps to evaluate how tool use and retouch affect the desing of stone tools found in the archaeological record.

Editorial paper special issue “Contact materials: The ‘Other’ in experimental use-wear studies”

This paper is a introductory note to a organised symposium at the EAA conference meeting. Participation in this symposium aimed at presenting and discussion studies focusing on the relevance of contact material used on use-wear-related experimentation. The paper provides a general framework and brief summeary of each contribution! It was a very useful and fun session! Thanks to all participants. Several papers have been published in the same JASr issue.

Aurignacian dynamics in Southeastern Europe based on spatial analysis, sediment geochemistry, raw materials, lithic analysis, and use-wear from Românești-Dumbrăvița

This paper focuses on presenting the results of several excavations at the open-air site of Românești-Dumbrăvița, Romania. In the paper we report data on the archaeological assemblages, including stone tool technology and use-wear analysis, site formation and dating. This is a very important Aurignacian site from East-Central Europe.

Living on the slope. The Middle and Upper Paleolithic occupation of Feldberg “Steinacker”

This article is dedicated to the Paleolithic open-air site of Feldberg “Steinacker”, located between the Rhine and the Black Forest …

The Middle Paleolithic ground stones tools of Nesher Ramla unit V (Southern Levant): A multi-scale use-wear approach for assessing the assemblage functional variability

Our study aimed at reporting and evaluating the variability of the so-called grounds stone tools recovered from the Middle Paleolithic occupations at the site of Nesher Ramla. focusing and combining a technological and functional approach, our analysis and results combine different types of observations and characterization of the various use-wear damages on these tools’ surface. While the results report a significant level of diversification in resource exploitation, we still need to develop more experiments to fully identify and understand some of the micro wear traces, and, therefore, reconstruct all activities and worked materials at the site. This study is quite interesting as it reveals the ecological and technological dynamics of these MP populations.”

The Middle Paleolithic ground stones tools of Nesher Ramla unit V (Southern Levant): A multi-scale use-wear approach for assessing the assemblage functional variability

In this study, in present the study of the assemblage of ground stone tools from the Middle Palaeolithic of Nesher. In this amazingly preserved site, several types of gst have been reported, showing different morphologies and types of damage. We explore, via experimental replication and multi-scale use-wear analysis, the origins of such damage. Our results show that different types of tools were intentionally used for different activities at site.

Recent opportunities

Job call and internships

Internships for junior and senior researchers

If you are interested on my research and want to collaborate, please get in touch! I often welcome students at TraCEr (MONREPOS-LEIZA) and ICArEHB for internships. These normally include training on use-wear analysis, experimental archaeology, and imaging equipment. I’m also happy to support PhD and postdoctoral researchers in the field of use-wear analysis and controlled experiments! Drop me a message!

TraCEr at MONREPOS

Laboratory for Traceology and Controlled Experiments

TraCEr - Laboratory for Traceology and Controlled Experiments

The Laboratory for Traceology and Controlled Experiments (TraCEr) runs under the research umbrella of the MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, namely, understanding the evolution of our behaviour…

Contact

Get in touch!