I am a Prehistoric Archaeologist currently employed at the University of Tübingen via my own DFG research grant. I am also holding an Associate Researcher affiliation with the Palaeo-Research Institute at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
My research focuses on cultural variability of hunter gatherer societies and human environment interactions during the late Pleistocene, Holocene and historic times. Initially trained as an expert in lithic technology, my research scope expanded towards broader research questions concerning human behaviour in relation to social and environmental factors on a cross-periodically scale. My research is based on an interdisciplinary approach with fundamental field work in multiple archaeological sites located in southern and eastern Africa accompanied with the use of various dating techniques, conducting environmental reconstructions (such as fauna, pollen, phytoliths, macro-botanical remains), provenance tracing (ochre, chert) and compositional analysis (rock art). I am collaborating with researchers and institutions from all around the globe, such as the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), the Archaeometry Laboratory at MURR (University of Missouri Research Reactor), iThemba Labs South Africa and IRAMAT-CRP2A (Université Bordeaux-Montaigne, CNRS) as well as the Universities of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal.
Besides the intensification of ongoing research in South Africa, Eswatini and Tanzania, I am planning to expand to less explored areas and to reinvestigate archaeological collections. Over the years, I developed a strong passion for strengthening collaborations between African and European scholars and supporting African students in their academic career which I am aiming to further intensify.
