News

We warmly congratulate Barbara Huber, who has just been awarded the European Chemical Society's Early-Stage Scientist Award 2026 in the field of Cultural Heritage!
The price is awarded to young researchers who "distinguished themselves through remarkable scientific achievements at an early career stage, and a compelling vision for advancing the field".
She received this prestigious and highly competitive award in recognition of her cutting-edge achievements in identifying the chemical signatures of aromatic compounds to shed light on the influence of scents in our past.
The award was formally presented during the ChemCH 2026 Conference, where Barbara Huber delivered the Early-Stage Scientist Award Lecture. 
Section ‘Chemistry for Cultural Heritage’ of the European Chemical Society's website.

This semester, the Archaeometry colloquium is taking place biweekly on Wednesdays, at 16.00 c.t., in room 212, Schloss Hohentübingen, starting at 16:00 c.t.

Link to the full program of the Archaeometry Colloquium.

We are pleased to share a new study led by Mauricio Marciales Daza in collaboration with Marta Díaz-Zorita Bonilla and Javier Escudero Carrillo.
This paper investigates diet and subsistence strategies in late Bronze and early Iron Age Menorca through stable isotope analysis and Bayesian modelling of human and faunal remains from the Biniadrís cave. By integrating isotopic and zooarchaeological data, the authors reconstruct changing patterns of animal protein consumption through time. The results reveal the increasing importance of pigs alongside cattle and goats, highlighting the central role of pig husbandry, dry-land farming, and resource management in prehistoric Menorcan society.
Link to the open access article "Island subsistence during the Late Bronze and Iron Age in Menorca".

We are happy to share a new research article led by Barbara Huber.

In this paper, the interdisciplinary team of researchers show how an archaeometabolomics approach can distinguish between different cedar-derived products – such as tar, resin, and essential oil – in archaeological samples. By identifying diagnostic chemical markers, the study moves beyond simply detecting plant presence and instead reconstructs ancient production processes and material use. Applied to Egyptian mummification balms, the method provides direct evidence for cedar tar use and offers new insights into ancient technologies, craft knowledge, and cultural practices.

Link to the open access article "An archaeo-metabolomics approach for identifying cedar tar in archaeological samples".

We are delighted to share a new research paper led by group member Silvia Amicone.
In this study, an interdisciplinary team examines ritual practices in late Nuragic Sardinia through ceramic and metal artefacts from Nuraghe Barru. By combining ceramic petrography and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), the researchers identify patterns of production, exchange, and material selection. Their results point to strong inter-community connectivity, with mostly non-local ceramics and copper-rich alloys likely carrying symbolic meaning. The study shows how certain Nuragic monuments were reused for ritual purposes during the transition from the Final Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age.
Link to the open access article "Ritual and Connectivity in Nuragic Sardinia".

We are happy to share a new research paper co-authored by our newest group member Barbara Huber.
In this study, an interdisciplinary research team demonstrates how museums can use molecular evidence to engage audiences with the sensory worlds of the past. By combining expertise across disciplines, the team developed a new workflow that transforms biomolecular data into accessible, visitor-ready olfactory reconstructions for museums and cultural heritage contexts.
Link to the open access article "From biomolecular traces to multisensory experiences".