Grunstra, N.D.S., Hollinetz, F., Bravo Morante, G., Zachos, F.E., Pfaff, C., Winkler, V., Mitteroecker, P., Le Maître, A., 2024. Convergent evolution in Afrotheria and non-afrotherians demonstrates high evolvability of the mammalian inner ear. Nature Communications 15, 7869. read more
I am currently a PhD student in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna. My academic background is in Ecology and Evolution, with a focus on palaeoecology. For my master’s thesis, I applied ancient DNA approaches to study population genomics in mussels. As a member of Pere Gelabert’s team within the ERC project, SHADOWS, which investigates human-carnivore interactions during the Upper Palaeolithic in several sites across Cantabria. My research focuses on the paleogenomics of the last megafaunal carnivore populations of the region, aiming to better understand their genetic diversity, evolutionary history, and relationship with humans.
Třebický, V., Delplanque, S., Ferdenzi, C., Fink, B., Jelínková, L., Pátková, Ž., Roberts, S.C., Röder, S., Saxton, T.K., Schwambergová, D., Štěrbová, Z., Fialová, J.T., Havlíček, J., 2023. Cross-modal associations of human body odour attractiveness with facial and vocal attractiveness provide little support for the backup signals hypothesis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Evolution and Human Behavior 44, 19-29. read more
Horejs, B., Grasböck, S., Bratschi, T., Schwall, C., 2023. Çukuriçi Höyük 5: Stratigraphie und Architektur der frühen Bronzezeit. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. read more
Gaffney, D., Oertle, A., Montenegro, A., Idje Djami, E.N., Macap, A.R., Russell, T., Tanudirjo, D., 2025. Culturing island biomes: marsupial translocation and bone tool production around New Guinea during the Pleistocene–Holocene. Journal of Archaeological Science 179, 106241. read more
I am a postdoctoral researcher in Ron Pinhasis's group, in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology of the University of Vienna. My expertise is the paleogenomic analysis of ancient human populations, specifically targeting ancestry determination, phenotypic assessment, admixture simulations, and societal organisation using kinship. Complementary interests and work areas involve the development and use of bioinformatic tools and pipelines for various genomic analysis, specifically for kinship estimation, as well as the development of ancient DNA laboratory methodologies and protocols for improved bone sampling and endogenous DNA separation.
Binder, M., Doneus, M., Klostermann, P., Özyurt, J., Strang, S., Tobias, B., & Fiedler, K. (2023). Das Gräberfeld von Obereggendorf (NÖ) – Erste interdisziplinäre Einblicke in eines der größten awarenzeitlichen Gräberfelder Ostösterreichs (The burial site of Obereggendorf (Lower Austria) – An initial interdisciplinary insight into one of the largest Avar cemeteries in Eastern Austria). Beiträge Zur Mittelalterarchäologie in Österreich, 39, 7–22. read more
Schauer, Michaela: Datenkontrolle, -aufbereitung und -auswertung portabler Röntgenfluoreszenzanalysen (p-RFA) mit dem Bruker Tracer 5i No 900F398 an silikatischem Material des Brandopferplatzes bei Farchant, Lkr. Garmisch-Partenkirchen. 31. Juli 2024. Open Data LMU. 10.5282/ubm/data.536 read more
Blanz, M., Balasse, M., Card, N., Ascough, P., Fiorillo, D., Taggart, M.A., Feldmann, J., Mainland, I., 2022. Life, Death and Teeth of Late Neolithic Sheep and Red Deer Excavated at Ness of Brodgar, Orkney Islands (UK). Environmental Archaeology, 1-13. read more
Huang, X., Hackl, J., Kuhlwilm, M., 2025. Decoding genomic landscapes of introgression. Trends in Genetics. read more
Han, S., de Filippo, C., Parra, G., Meneu, J.R., Laurent, R., Frandsen, P., Hvilsom, C., Gronau, I., Marques-Bonet, T., Kuhlwilm, M., Andrés, A.M., Deep genetic substructure within bonobos. Current Biology. read more
Roland Filzwieser, Michael Doneus, Gerhard Hasenhündl, Matthias Kucera, Andreas Lenzhofer, Michał Pisz, David Russ, Franz Seidl, Gerhard Stüttler, Geert Verhoeven, Georg Zotti und Wolfgang Neubauer. (2023): Der Dernberg. Neue Perspektiven auf einen mittelalterlichen Hausberg mit anschließender Ortswüstung durch integrierte archäologische Prospektion und die systematische Analyse historischer Karten. In: Beiträge zur Mittelalterarchäologie in Österreich 39, S. 115–136. read more
Manning, J.T., Fink, B., Trivers, R., 2023. Digit Ratio (2D:4D; Right-Left 2D:4D) and Multiple Phenotypes for Same-Sex Attraction: The BBC Internet Study Revisited. Archives of Sexual Behavior. read more
Butovskaya, M., Adam, Y., Batsevich, V., Shackelford, T.K., Fink, B., 2023. Direct and radiographic digit ratio (2D:4D) measurements of Tuvan children and adolescents from Southern Siberia: Sex differences and skeletal maturation. Early Human Development 184, 105835. read more
Dominik Hagmann is currently working on several projects, primarily focusing on Roman archaeology in Austria, and is a lecturer at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology (University of Vienna). Since 2023, Dominik has been a principal investigator in the ÖAW-funded Go!Digital 3.0 long-term-archiving project IUENNA at the kärnten.museum, together with his colleague Franziska Reiner (ÖAI). In 2022, he obtained a Ph.D. degree (with honors) from the University of Vienna (Doctoral School for Cultural and Historical Studies) on his thesis "Roman Rural Landscapes in Noricum. Archaeological Studies on Roman Settlements in the Hinterland of Northern Noricum." As an archaeologist, Dominik focuses on Roman studies in terms of settlement and landscape archaeology in the Danube Basin, implementing state-of-the-art digital and interdisciplinary methods in his research. He participated in numerous field campaigns in Central and Southern Europe and the Middle East during third-party-funded international and national research projects.
I am a bioarchaeologist and currently a university assistant (predoctoral researcher) in the Department of Prehistory and Historical Archaeology at the University of Vienna. Since 2021, I have also been part of the “Prehistoric Identities” research group, led by Katharina Rebay-Salisbury at the Austrian Archaeological Institute (Austrian Academy of Sciences). I hold a Master's degree in Prehistory and Historical Archaeology from the University of Vienna. My research focuses on mortuary practices during the Bronze Age in Central Europe, as well as osteology, palaeopathology, and archaeothanatology. My PhD project investigates the bioarchaeology of children and adolescents, with a particular emphasis on sex-specific burial practices during the Early Bronze Age.
I am an archaeologist and PhD candidate at the Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology, University of Vienna, where I am a project collaborator in Marta Luciani’s team for the FWF-funded project I6562 “ANAPAN: A New Approach to Pottery of Arabia and its Neighbors” (ANAPAN - FWF). My dissertation project “Tracing Socio-Economic Dynamics through Pottery Manufacture and Distribution: a Diachronic and Interregional Perspective from NW Arabia” investigates the socio-economic dynamics associated with the manufacture, use and distribution of pottery. The focus is on vessels from the Bronze and Iron Age site of Qurayyah –a 300ha walled multi-phase oasis-settlement in the Hejaz region of NW Arabia. Results are further contextualized in the broader NW Arabian and Southern Levantine region. I am employing an interdisciplinary chaîne-opératoire-oriented approach, studying the material through macroscopic and microscopic (petrographic) analyses and combining archaeological, technological and archaeometric perspectives.
I am a PhD candidate at the Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology where I work as a PraeDoc University Assistant in Michael Doneus’s team. I am a landscape- and geoarchaeologist specialising in the interdisciplinary analysis of sediment archives as well as landscape analyses and reconstructions. My main research interests are the study of human-landscape interactions, formation processes, and chronostratigraphic landscape contexts by employing interdisciplinary methods and approaches. For my dissertation project “Life of a Landscape”, I am working on the creation of an archaeological landscape biography of the Kreuttal microregion in Lower Austria which focuses on the development of the landscape over the millennia and the formation processes involved. In the course of my dissertation project and associated research activities I am developing skills in (p)OSL profiling and dating, sedimentology, geochemistry, and Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) approaches.
My research focuses on mammal evolution and ecological niche development especially in carnivorous animals. The different aspects include food preference (microwear methods), locomotion adaption and population development (in co-operation with Michael Hofreiter, DNA-lab, Univ. Potsdam and the Radiocarbon lab in Mannheim). Current projects focus on niche development of Miocene carnivores and climate adaptions of mammals in the Upper Pleistocene (Teufelslucke).
Hagmann, D., Ankerl, B., Kirchengast, N., Cheronet, O., Greisinger, M., Miglbauer, R., Kirchengast, S., 2024. Double feature: First genetic evidence of a mother-daughter double burial in Roman period Austria. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 55, 104479. read more
Hagmann, D., Ankerl, B., Kirchengast, N., Cheronet, O., Greisinger, M., Miglbauer, R., Kirchengast, S., 2024. Double feature: First genetic evidence of a mother-daughter double burial in Roman period Austria. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 55, 104479.read more
Frémondière, P., Thollon, L., Marchal, F., Fornai, C., Webb, N.M., Haeusler, M., 2022. Dynamic finite-element simulations reveal early origin of complex human birth pattern. Communications Biology 5. read more
Title: Earliest members of genus Homo may have ditched hard foods on the road to becoming human Subtitle: New study finds Homo habilis was biomechanically limited in producing high bite forces— forcing scientists to re-think the timing of dietary shifts in human evolution Body: New work by an international team of researchers suggests that the earliest member of the genus Homo, a species known as Homo habilis (“handy man”), was limited in its ability to bite forcefully into hard foods—offering new insights into the dietary and evolutionary shifts that helped shape the human lineage. The study, published this week in Royal Society Open Science, uses advanced computer simulations to analyze bite force mechanics in Homo habilis. Results show that Homo habilis was structurally constrained in its ability to crunch into hard foods with its molars—a limitation that persists in modern humans. “Our results point to a fundamental change in feeding behavior with the appearance of Homo habilis,” said Dr. Justin Ledogar, assistant professor in ETSU’s Department of Biomedical Health Sciences and the study’s lead author. “The ability to process exceedingly hard or tough foods with high bite forces was reduced in Homo habilis compared with earlier hominin species.” The research team created a biomechanical model of the Homo habilis skull and subjected it to simulated…
Schaefer, K., Seidl-Berger, A., Windhager, S., 2024. Early developmental masculinization among boys: More prenatal testosterone action (assessed via 2D: 4D) renders their faces perceived as masculine but not pretty or cute. Early Human Development, 106071. read more
Barzilai, O., Marder, O., Tejero, J.-M., Ayalon, A., Bar-Matthews, M., Abulafia, T., Lavi, R., Goder-Goldberger, M., Shemer, M., Edeltin, L., Wiegmann, A., Frumkin, A., Karasik, A., Yasur, G., Yeshurun, R., Zohar, I., Berna, F., Hans, M., Goldberg, J.S., McDermott, Y., Spurlock, L., Pokhojaev, A., Habashi, W., May, H., Sarig, R., Hershkovitz, I., 2024. Early human collective practices and symbolism in the Early Upper Paleolithic of Southwest Asia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121, e2404632121. read more
Blanz, Magdalena, Marie Balasse, Delphine Frémondeau, Erika Gál, Anett Osztás, Anna Zs Biller, Éva Á. Nyerges, Denis Fiorillo, Eszter Bánffy, and Maria Ivanova (2023). "Early Neolithic pastoral land use at Alsónyék-Bátaszék, Hungary (Starčevo culture): New insights from stable isotope ratios." PloS one 18(12): e0295769. read more
Shemer, M., Boaretto, E., Greenbaum, N., Bar-Yosef Mayer, D.E., Tejero, J.-M., Langgut, D., Gnezdilov, D.L., Barzilai, O., Marder, O., Marom, N., 2023. Early Upper Paleolithic cultural variability in the Southern Levant: New evidence from Nahal Rahaf 2 Rockshelter, Judean Desert, Israel. Journal of Human Evolution 178, 103342. read more
Waldhoer, T., Kirchengast, S., Yang, L., 2024. Effect of Month of Birth on Mean Birth Length in Austrian Newborns Born Between 1984 and 2021. American Journal of Human Biology 36, e24146. read more
Mehofer, Mathias., 2022. Ein frühbronzezeitliches Metallhandwerkerzentrum in Westanatolien., AUSTRIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 0xc1aa5576_0x003d8632.pdf (austriaca.at)
Die archäologischen Institute der Universität Wien sind führend in verschiedenen Feldern der archäologischen Forschung und Praxis – ob nun bei der Erforschung der menschlichen Evolution oder der Untersuchung antiker Bildwerke, ob bei Methoden der archäologischen Prospektion oder der Digitalisierung historischer Sammlungen. Die „Pan-Archaeology Lecture“ soll diese Vielfalt der archäologischen Institute in Wien hochleben lassen. Wir laden Sie herzlich dazu ein, mit uns zu feiern! From investigating human evolution to discovering new works of ancient art, and from high-tech archaeological prospection to innovative work digitalising historic collections, the various archaeological institutes of the University of Vienna are at the cutting edge of archaeological research and practice. The Pan-Archaeology lecture celebrates the diversity of the University of Vienna’s archaeological institutes. We invite you to celebrate with us! Donnerstag, 26. Januar 2023 18:00–19:30 Uhr 1090 Wien, Oscar-Morgenstern-Platz 1, SkyLounge Archäologie und Übersetzen. Grenzen überqueren und Verbindungen herstellen Kerstin P. HOFMANN (Römisch-Germanische Kommission, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut) Archäologie setzt sich mit unterschiedlichen Arten von Grenzen und deren Überquerungen auseinander, dabei kann sie immer wieder Verbindungen aufzeigen oder auch herstellen. Sie profitiert von konstruktiver Zusammenarbeit und agiert auf vielerlei Gebieten als Übersetzerin. Anhand verschiedener aktueller Themen und Forschungen der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission zu sozio-kulturellen Interaktionen, sozial-ökologischen Prozessen sowie der digitalen Transformation sollen damit verknüpfte Fragen nach (Dis-)Konnektivitäten und (Dis-)Kontinuitäten aufgegriffen werden. Als Fallstudien dienen hierfür u. a.…
I am a principal investigator at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology (University of Vienna). My research interests mainly cover the topics related to population and conservation genomics, phylogenetics and animal domestication. Particularly, in my research group, we generate and analyze non-human paleogenomic data to address various evolutionary, and socio-cultural questions, many of which cannot be well-addressed by ancient DNA studies of humans alone. I have been working on ancient specimens from various species, such as human, cave bear, chimpanzee, iconic New Zealand Tuatara, Arabian camels and horses. In my current project, we are researching on the Palaeogenomics of Roman Equids, using a multidisciplinary approach.
Emese Végh is a FWF ESPRIT Principal Investigator on the project titled ‘Human Evolution Beyond Collagen (HUMEVCOL)’ at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna. Mentored by Tom Higham, Emese aims to pioneer single amino acid radiocarbon dating techniques targeting γ-carboxyglutamic acids (Gla)-containing proteins in bones that do not preserve collagen, which is often the case for fossil bones recovered from (sub-)tropical areas. This innovative approach is set to revolutionise the analysis and dating of key archaic hominin remains. Previously, Emese led the ‘Hidden by Fire’ project as an FWO Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), under the guidance of Christophe Snoeck and Steven Goderis. Her research there centred on the consistency, contamination, and diagenetic potential of elemental concentrations in bone burnt at various temperatures, their interaction, as well as the efficacy of pretreatment methods on cremated bone before stable isotopic analysis and radiocarbon dating. Before that, she was also a Postdoctoral Researcher in Palaeoproteomics on Katerina Douka’s ERC FINDER project at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, analysing and identifying faunal and hominin remains from Pleistocene Eurasia and developed the SpecieScan algorithm for semi-automated species identification of bone fragments from MALDI-ToF-MS spectra. Emese completed her DPhil in Archaeological Science at the University of Oxford, focusing on the diagenesis and thermal stability of bioapatite,…
Emily J. Kate is bioarchaeologist specializing in radiocarbon dating, isotopic studies of paleodiet and migration, human osteology and paleodemography, and has worked with projects from Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and in Europe. Her interests include the manner in which paleodietary variation and changing trends can be used to assess shifts in social structure, political organization, and resilience, the effects of long-distance migration on the social and political landscape of societies, and the refinement of regional chronologies through targeted radiocarbon programs and Bayesian modeling. Emily is currently the Project Coordinator for the ERC funded SUSTAIN project at the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science and is also an editor for the Cambridge University Press book series, Elements in Ancient and Premodern Economies.
I am a PhD student at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, The Higham lab. My background is in Archaeological Sciences, which I obtained a bachelor’s degree at the University of Bradford, before being a commercial archaeologist for a few years in England, Ireland and Germany. My master’s degree is from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, in Paleobiology and Geobiology. My master’s thesis was concentrated on using microfossils and isotopes for further understanding the paleo-environment on Paleolithic sites in Lower Austria. My PhD with the Higham lab will involve using different dating techniques and methods to further understand hominins movements, interactions and extinctions in the Middle to Upper Paleolithic across Eurasia.
The Southern Arc and its lively genetic History Vast paleogenetic study reveals insights on migration patterns, the expansion of farming and language development from the Caucasus over western Asia and Southern Europe from the early Copper Age until the late middle ages In a trio of papers, published simultaneously in the journal Science, Ron Pinhasi from the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology and Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences (HEAS) at the University of Vienna and Songül Alpaslan-Roodenberg from the University of Vienna and Harvard University, Iosif Lazaridis and David Reich at Harvard University—together with 202 co-authors—report a massive effort of genome-wide sequencing from 727 distinct ancient individuals with which it was possible to test longstanding archaeological, genetic and linguistic hypotheses. They present a systematic picture of the interlinked histories of peoples across the Southern Arc Region from the origins of agriculture, to late medieval times. Read in full here The Southern Arc and its lively genetic History Ancient DNA from Mesopotamia suggests distinct Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic migrations into Anatolia. A genetic probe into the ancient and medieval history of Southern Europe and West Asia. The genetic history of the Southern Arc: A bridge between West Asia and Europe
Lauterbur, M.E., Cavassim, M.I.A., Gladstein, A.L., Gower, G., Pope, N.S., Tsambos, G., Adrion, J., Belsare, S., Biddanda, A., Caudill, V., Cury, J., Echevarria, I., Haller, B.C., Hasan, A.R., Huang, X., Iasi, L.N.M., Noskova, E., Obšteter, J., Pavinato, V.A.C., Pearson, A., Peede, D., Perez, M.F., Rodrigues, M.F., Smith, C.C.R., Spence, J.P., Teterina, A., Tittes, S., Unneberg, P., Vazquez, J.M., Waples, R.K., Wohns, A.W., Wong, Y., Baumdicker, F., Cartwright, R.A., Gorjanc, G., Gutenkunst, R.N., Kelleher, J., Kern, A.D., Ragsdale, A.P., Ralph, P.L., Schrider, D.R., Gronau, I., 2023. Expanding the stdpopsim species catalog, and lessons learned for realistic genome simulations. eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd. read more
By: Dominik Hagmann and Nisa Kirchengast On Monday, July 7th, we had the delightful opportunity to dive into the fascinating world of Roman cuisine with a group of 50 young explorers at Kinderuni Wien. The session, titled „Römisches Essen: Alles bio und vegan? Mit der Archäologie der antiken Ernährung auf der Spur“ (Roman Food: All Organic and Vegan? Tracing Ancient Diet with Archaeology), brought together curious minds aged 7 to 12 eager to learn about what the Romans ate and how we uncover their culinary secrets. We ventured into the depths of Roman gastronomy, not only discussing the food the Romans ate but also uncovering how archaeology helps us reveal their meals, even after nearly two millennia. From archaeological finds to ancient cookbooks, we explored the rich flavors of the past and discussed how these dishes could be recreated today with a modern twist. Our research areas, especially zooarchaeology and experimental archaeology, were crucial in revealing the diet of the Romans. For instance, through zooarchaeological analysis, we explored animal bones to uncover the types of meat consumed by the Romans, and through experimental archaeology, we demonstrated how ancient food production techniques, like cooking the Roman puls, contributed to the Roman diet. The children’s enthusiasm was truly inspiring. They asked insightful questions, eager to learn everything from the Romans’ favorite foods…
Usyk, V.I., Gerasimenko, N., Garba, R., Damblon, F., Nigst, P.R., 2023. Exploring the Potential of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic Site Korolevo II (Ukraine): New Results on Stratigraphy, Chronology and Archaeological Sequence. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology 6, 16. read more
Nigst, P.R., Antl-Weiser, W., Bosch, M.D., 2024. Exploring the Surrounding of a Gravettian Site. The Case Study Grub-Kranawetberg, Austria. Archaeologia Austriaca 108. read more
