TraceoLab ULiege

Take a look at the new INSTONE Special Issue in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, dedicated to advancing research on non-flint stone tools and integrated trace analysis approaches! This special issue brings together innovative methodological and experimental studies exploring wear formation, raw material variability, and functional analysis in archaeology and beyond.

We are especially proud to highlight contributions from current TraceoLab team members and external colleagues:

‘Blind’ perspectives on microwear formation on southern African lithic raw materials by Noora Taipale, Christian Lepers, and Veerle Rots

Heated-weaponry, a pilot study on trace formation on heat-treated silcrete by Rone Oberholzer and Veerle Rots

The application of quartzite petrogenesis in Palaeolithic research: Methodological basis, ongoing narratives, future directions by Alejandro Prieto, Noora Taipale, David Álvarez-Alonso, Esteban Álvarez-Fernández, Javier Baena-Preysler, Dries Cnuts, Ronè Oberholzer, Andreas Pastoors, and Veerle Rots

These papers reflect ongoing efforts to better understand how raw material properties, heat treatment, and geological variability influence trace formation and functional interpretation of stone tools.

Congratulations to all authors and editors involved in this collaborative achievement!

Read the full special issue here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/10FVBC2L0X7

More exciting research coming out of TraceoLab! A new publication by Justin Coppe and Veerle Rots explores how morphometric interpretations influence evolutionary models of prehistoric weaponry and challenges long-standing assumptions about projectile technology.

Read the article here:

Does Point Size Matter? How Morphometric Arguments Impact Evolutionary Models of Paleolithic Weaponry | PaleoAnthropology Does Point Size Matter? How Morphometric Arguments Impact Evolutionary Models of Paleolithic Weaponry Article Sidebar pdf Published: May 8, 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.48738/2026.iss1.3865 Keywords: Palaeolithic hunting technology, TCSA/TCSP, Bow, Long range weaponry, Spear-thrower, Spear Main Arti...

We are excited to share a recent publication in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry by Anika Lokker, Pierre-Hugues Stefanuto, Dries Cnuts, Veerle Rots, and Jean-François Focant:
“Towards robust identification of Pleistocene adhesives: A critical review of current analytical approaches.”

In this review, the authors examine key challenges and recurring pitfalls in the chemical analysis of prehistoric adhesives, while offering methodological recommendations for improving analytical reliability and interpretation.

Access the article here:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-026-06354-z

We are honored to extend a warm (and slightly belated) congratulations to Dr. Anika Lokker! On March 19, Anika successfully defended her PhD thesis titled Scents of the Past: Investigating non-destructive prehistoric adhesive identification via dynamic headspace-multidimensional gas chromatography. Her PhD was completed under the dual supervision of Dr. Jean-François Focant and Dr. Veerle Rots.

The project ”Experiment-based approach to Middle Stone Age artisanship at Rose Cottage Cave” strikes again. Funded by a Research Grant from The Leakey Foundation, we continue to investigate lithic technology between 100-30 ka at this reference Stone Age site in South Africa. Once more, knapping experiments took us to Leiden. In the second session, expert knapper Dr Morgan Roussel (Paleocraft and Skills) built on his experience with different knapping techniques and methods to produce a variety of blanks from siliceous rocks collected at old river terraces around Rose Cottage Cave and (sub-)primary sources in western Lesotho. Dr Roussel used thin, elongated blanks to apply diverse techniques of backing and larger, thicker elements to pressure flake them with the horn of a roan antelope into points with basal ventral thinning. This work is fundamental to deepening our knowledge about tool manufacture and subsistence of past hunter-gatherers within their social structures and habitats through functional and technological analyses.

Collaborators on the project are Dr Noora Taipale (FNRS, TraceoLab), Dr Viola Schmid (TraceoLab, Austrian Academy of Sciences, University of Vienna, University of the Witwatersrand), and Prof. Lyn Wadley (ESI, University of the Witwatersrand).









(ESI)

🎓 Full-Time Academic Position in Prehistoric Art & Archaeology
⚠️ ONLY 9 DAYS LEFT TO APPLY! ⚠️
The University of Liège (Belgium) is seeking a professor in Prehistoric Art & Archaeology!
📍 Position: Full-time academic post (H/F/X)
🏛️ Faculty: Philosophy & Letters
📅 Start date: September 1, 2026
⏰ Application deadline: January 29, 2026
Key responsibilities:

Teaching (BA & MA levels): Prehistory, Protohistory, excavation techniques
Research in prehistoric art & archaeology
Fieldwork on archaeological sites
Co-responsibility for the Museum of Prehistory

Required qualifications:
✓ PhD degree
✓ Research portfolio & publications in Prehistory
✓ Regular excavation experience
✓ University-level teaching experience
✓ French language proficiency (B2/C1)
This is a statutory position that can lead to tenure after evaluation!
🔗 Apply online: https://my.uliege.be/portail/go_xt.do?a=o%7C11004%7Ce%7C639017
Reference: PA260101

The University of Liège is hiring a professor of prehistory! The full-time position is open to applications until January 29th, midnight (UTC+1), for a contract set to start in September 2026.
Learn more about the position:

www.uliege.be

We’re pleased to announce that Dr Julien d’Huy will give a lecture on Wednesday 17th entitled Remonter les mythes pour éclairer le temps : comment comprendre l'art des cavernes durant le Paléolithique supérieur ? (Reconstructing myths to shed light on the past: how can we understand Upper Palaeolithic cave art?)

Abstract (in French) : Les méthodes de la mythologie comparée offrent de puissants outils pour explorer le passé profond et reconstruire des récits, des croyances et des structures symboliques que l’on pensait jusqu’alors perdues. Parmi ces méthodes, la phylomythologie transpose aux mythes les méthodes de la biologie évolutive, permettant de reconstituer leur histoire, leurs voies de diffusion et leurs formes ancestrales. Une telle approche rend possible de remonter jusqu’aux mythes du Paléolithique supérieur, notamment ceux qui accompagnèrent les premiers Homo Sapiens à avoir peuplé l’ouest de l’Eurasie. Confrontés aux données fournies par l’art rupestre paléolithique européen, les résultats obtenus permettent de suggérer de nouvelles hypothèses, en s’appuyant sur des énoncés qui avaient toute chance d’être connus par ceux qui réalisèrent les images que l’on cherche à expliquer.

This lecture is the first in a series entitled Le Carrefour de la Préhistoire: rencontres belgo-franco-allemandes, which will take place in 2025-2026, with the support of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters.

Only 5 days left to apply ! TraceoLab is looking for a new post-doc colleague with a background in confocal microscopy and/or lithic use wear analysis. Find out more at

Post-doc position in TraceoLab Postdoctoral scholarship, contract of 1 year (can be prolonged).