Current Position

Assistant Professor (Wissenchaftliche Assistentin)

Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology
University of Tübingen

Rsearch Interests

• Paleolithic Archaeology
• Human Behaviour
• Human Evolution
• Use-wear Analysis
• Experimental Archaeology
• Residue Analysis
• Lithic Technology

Education

Previous employment

2017-2020  Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Archeology, Tel Aviv University (Israel)

Publications in peer-reviewed journals

1. Lemorini, C., Cristiani, E., Cesaro-Nunzinate, S., Venditti, F., Zupancich, A., Gopher, A. 2020. The use of ash at Late Lower Paleolithic Qesem Cave , Israel — An integrated study of use-wear and residue analysis. PLoS ONE 15(9): 1–30. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0237502.

2. Nucara, A., Nunziante-Cesaro, S., Venditti, F., Lemorini, C. 2020. A multivariate analysis for enhancing the interpretation of Infrared spectra of plant residues on lithic artefacts. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 33, 102526 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102526

3. Parush, Y., Nunziante-Cesaro, S., Gopher, A., Barkai, R., Venditti, F. accepted. The significance of recycled small flakes at the hearth area, Qesem Cave (Israel): a techno-typological, functional and chemical analysis. Journal of Lithic Studies.

4. Venditti, F., Agam, A., Barkai, R. 2019. Techno- functional analysis of small recycled flakes from Late Acheulian Revadim (Israel) demonstrates a link between morphology and function. Journal of Archaeological Science Reports 28, 102039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.102039

5. Venditti, F., Nunziante-Cesaro, S., Parush, Y., Gopher, A., Barkai, R. 2019. Recycling for a purpose in the late Lower Paleolithic Levant: Use-wear and residue analyses of small sharp flint items indicate a planned and integrated subsistence behavior at Qesem Cave (Israel). Journal of Human Evolution 131, 109-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.016

6. Venditti, F., Cristiani, E., Nunziante-Cesaro, S., Agam, A., Lemorini, C., Barkai, R., 2019. Animal residues found on tiny Lower Paleolithic tools reveal their use in butchery. Scientific Reports 9:13031, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49650-8

7. Venditti, F., Lemorini, C., Bordigoni, M., Zampetti, D., Amore, M., Tagliacozzo, A., 2016. The role of burins and their relationships with art through traces analysis at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Polesini Cave (Latium, Italy), Origini XXXIX, Prehistory and Protohistory of ancient civilizations, 7-30.

8. Venditti, F., Tirillò, J., Garcea, E.A.A., 2016. Identification and evaluation of mechanical wear traces on quartz assemblages: an experimental investigation, Quaternary International 424, 143-153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.07.046

9.  Zupancich, A., Nunziante-Cesaro, S., Blasco, R., Rosell, J., Cristiani, E., Venditti, F., Lemorini, C., Barkai, R., Gopher, A., 2016. Early evidence of stone tool use in bone working activities at Qesem Cave, Israel. Scientif Reports 6, 1-7. http://doi:10.1038/srep37686

10. Lemorini, C., Venditti, F., Assaf, E., Parush Y., Barkai R., Gopher A., 2015. The function of recycled lithic items at late Lower Paleolithic Qesem Cave, Israel: An overview of the use-wear data, Quaternary International 361, 103-112.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2014.07.032

Book chapters

1. Coudenneau, A., Venditti, F., Lemorini, C., Chacón-Navarro, M.G. 2019. The points reference collection. In: Thiébaut, C., Emilie, C., Costamagno, S. (eds), Procurement and Processing of Plants and Animal Materials by Neanderthals. Exploring Means and Strategies. P@letnology 10, Toulouse, pp. 124-143

2. Claud, É., Thiébaut, C., Coudenneau, A., Deschamps, M., Lemorini, C., Mourre, V., Venditti, F.  2019. The use-wear studies on the lithic industries. In: Thiébaut, C., Emilie, C., Costamagno, S. (eds), Procurement and Processing of Plants and Animal Materials by Neanderthals. Exploring Means and Strategies. P@letnology 10, Toulouse, pp. 285-315

3. Costamagno, S., Claud, É., Soulier, M.C.; Thiébaut, C., Brenet, M., Coudenneau, A., Deschamps, M., Lemorini, C., Mourre, V., Venditti, F. 2019. Approaches to the acquisition and use of animal materials. In: Thiébaut, C., Emilie, C., Costamagno, S. (eds), Procurement and Processing of Plants and Animal Materials by Neanderthals. Exploring Means and Strategies. P@letnology 10, Toulouse, pp. 373-426.

Conference papers

1. Venditti, F., 2014. Use-wear analysis on quartz and quartzite tools methodology and application: Coudoulous I (Midi-Pyrénées, France). In: Marreiros, J.J., Bicho, N., Gibaja, J.F. (Eds.), International Conference on Use-Wear Analysis. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Faro, Portugal, pp. 124–137.

Monograph

1. Venditti, F. 2019. Understanding Lithic Recycling at the Late Lower Palaeolithic Qesem Cave, Israel. A Functional and Chemical Investigation of Small Flakes. Archaeopress, Oxford.

Grants/Scholarships/Prizes

2020 Tübingen Prize for Ice Age Research. University of Tübingen, Germany - € 5000.

2019-2020 Scholarship, Department of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

2018-2019 Scholarship, The Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute, Department of Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

2017-2018 Scholarship, Department of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Israel

2018 Irene Levi Sala Care Archaeological Foundation: 3500$. Principal Investigator of the project: “Microscopic and experimental approaches towards understanding the use of small flakes produced by means of recycling at Acheulean Revadim site (Israel)”.

2015 Avvio alla Ricerca, Sapienza University of Rome: - € 1000. “Principal Investigator of the project: The recycling phenomenon during the late Lower Palaeolithic: the case study of Qesem Cave (Israel)”.

Academic Service

• Manuscript peer review: Journal of Paleolithic Archeology, Quaternary International.

• Evaluator of scientific projects submitted to the National Science Centre, Poland.

Professional memberships

2015-to date  AWRANA- Association of Archaeological Wear & Residue Analysts

2020- ESHE European Society for the study of Human Evolution

2020-  EAA- European Association for Archeologists

2018-to date UISPP International Union for the Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences

Languages

Italian -native
English -good command
French -fluent
Spanish -basic

Additional qualifications

Good knowledge in microscopy (Stereomicroscope, Metallographic microscope, SEM and SEM-EDX equipment), good knowledge of operating system Windows and Apple Macintosh and main applications of literacy and numeracy, knowledge of  graphic processing software (Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Lightroom).