Ria Litzenberg

Contact

SFB 1070 RessourcenKulturen
Gartenstr. 29
D-72074 Tübingen
room 315
Phone: +49-(0)7071-29-73595
E-mail: ria.litzenbergspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de

Research project

The region of the Swabian Jura is one of the most important sources for the study of the early Upper Paleolithic in Europe. Especially the finds from the rich Aurignacian layers allow far-reaching insights into the cultural development of modern humans migrating into Europe. The early appearance of figurative art and musical instruments makes the Swabian Aurignacian unique. Particularly well known are the sculptured animal and human figurines made of ivory. They were found in two caves of the Achtal (Hohle Fels and Geißenklösterle) and two of the Lonetal (Vogelherd and Hohlenstein-Stadel).

The PhD project deals with the interpretation of these symbolic expressions. Although the Aurignacian of the Swabian Jura is very well documented and studied in many areas, a synthetic work on the possible meanings of the ivory figurines is still missing. Previous hypotheses from almost 100 years of research history will be traced, analyzed and critically evaluated. In addition, attempts will be made to open up new dimensions of significance. This will result in a repertoire of meanings documenting the diversity of levels of interpretation applicable to these unique objects.

The PhD will be carried out within the framework of an employment in the Collaborative Research Center 1070 RessourcenKulturen (subproject B 01): https://uni-tuebingen.de/forschung/forschungsschwerpunkte/sonderforschungsbereiche/sfb-1070/forschung/b-bewegungen/

Research focus

Upper Paleolithic
mobile art
organic artefacts
Theoretical Archaeology

Employment

11/2019 – 10/2021	Scientific trainee programm in the department of archaeology at the Landesmuseum Württemberg, exhibition project: „Berauschend – 10.000 Jahre Bier und Wein“
07/2018 – 09/2018	Student assistant at the department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology for Prof. Nicholas Conard (area of responsibility: digitization of literature, open access project)
10/2013 – 01/2016	Student assistant at the department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology for Prof. Dr. Harald Floss (area of responsibility: processing and archiving archaeological material, maintenance of databases)

Academic education

since 12/2022	PhD candidate and scientific employee at SFB 1070 ResourceCultures, University of Tübingen in project B01 (Variability in the use of resources and space by late Neanderthals and early modern humans) working title: "The meaning of Ice Age art in the Swabian Aurignacian: explanatory models and interpretations of early figurative art" Supervisors: Prof. N. J. Conard, Prof. H. Floss
10/2015 – 04/2019	Master studies at the Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Title of the master thesis: „Paläolithische Rondelle – unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Funde aus Süddeutschland und der Schweiz“
09/2017 – 03/2018	Semester abroad at the Queen´s University Belfast (Erasmus Mobility Scholarship)
10/2012 – 09/2015	Bachelor studies in Prehistory, Early History and Medieval Archaeology (major) and Paleoanthropology (minor subject), Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Title of the bachelor thesis: "Materialübergreifende Analyse des GH 16 der Grotte de la Verpillière I in Germolles, Gemeinde Mellecey (Sâone-et-Loire, Frankreich)“

Field experience and internships

05/2019 – 06/2019	Technical assistant at the excavation project Marathousa I (Greece)
12/2018	Training at TraceoLab: Research Center for Trace and Residue Analysis at the Université de Liège (Belgium)
08/2018	Student excavator at Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu and Germolles en Roche (France)
04/2017	Student excavator at Umbeli-Belli (South Africa)
02/2017 – 03/2017	Technical assistant at Sibudu (South Africa)
08/2016 – 09/2016	Head of the find processing for the excavations of Grotte de La Verpillière II and Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu (France)
02/2016 – 03/2016	Technical assistant at Sibudu (South Africa)
07/2015 – 09/2015	Head of the find processing at the excavations projects of Grottes de La Verpillière (France)
03/2015	Internship at the museum Paläon - Research and Experience Center Schöninger Speere
02/2015	Internship at the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments Niedersachsen
07/2014 – 09/2014	Student excavator at Grottes de La Verpillière (France)
03/2014	Student assistant at prospections in southern Bourgogne (France)
08/2013	Student excavator at the Grottes de La Verpillière (France)
07/2013	Educational excavation at Grotte de La Verpillière I (France)

Publications and Posters

Conard, N. J. & Litzenberg, R. (2024). Die Erfindung der Kunst. Spiegel Geschichte 2/2024, SPIEGEL-Verlag Rudolf Augstein GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg, xx-xx (in press).

Litzenberg, R. & Conard, N. J. (2023). Schwäbische Alb: Frühe Kunst und Musik. In: J. T. Jensen (Hrsg.) Archäologie in Deutschland, Sonderheft 28. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt, 13-20.

Conard, N. J. & Litzenberg, R. (2023). Vogelherd: Höhlenschätze aus der Altsteinzeit. In: J. T. Jensen (Hrsg.) Archäologie in Deutschland, Sonderheft 28. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt, 13-20.

Herkert, K., Litzenberg, R., Hoyer, C. T., Frick, J. A. & Floss, H. (2023). The Middle Paleolithic of the Côte Chalonnaise: Chronology, Technology and Palethnological Elements. In: H. Koehler, N. J. Conard, H. Floss, A. Lamotte (Hrsg.), The Rhine during the Middle Palaeolithic: Boundary or Corridor? Tübingen Publications in Prehistory, Kerns Verlag, Tübingen, 253-286.

Litzenberg, R. (2023). Warum Kunst? Interpretationen um die 40.000 Jahre alten Figuren des Schwäbischen Aurignaciens. Quenstedt-Feier 2023, 21. Juli 2023 (poster).

Litzenberg, R. & Floss, H. (2022). An intact Middle Palaeolithic occupation floor: Layer 16 of Grotte de la Verpillière I in Germolles. In: H. Floss (Hrsg.), Hommes, terroir, et territoires. Le Paléolithique en Bourgogne méridionale. Verlag Marie Leidorf GmbH, Rahden/Westf., 183-192.

Litzenberg, R. (2021). Un horizon de colonisation du Paléolithique moyen - Le GH 16 de Verpillière I. Ausstellung „La préhistoire en Saône-et-Loire“, 14.09.2021 – 23.09.2021, Givry, France (poster).

Litzenberg, R. & Floss, H. (2019). Paläolithische Rondelle – unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Funde aus Süddeutschland und der Schweiz. Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Urgeschichte 28: 105-122.

Hoyer, C. T., Huber, N., Floss, H. & Litzenberg, R. (2016). Les trauvaux à la Verpillière I en 2015 et la synthèse de 2013 à 2015. In: H. Floss (Hrsg.), Fouilles programmes pluriannuelles aux sites paléolithiques de Grottes de la Verpillière I & II à Germolles, commune de Mellecey (Saône-et-Loire). Rapport annuel 2015. Rapport pluriannuel 2013 à 2015, Tübingen, 13-133.

Münzel et al. (2015). Chaîne opératoire of Molly, an Indian elephant from the Wilhelma in Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt. Results of a workshop in Blaubeuren on the processing of Proboscidian ribs as raw material for tools. 57th annual meeting of the Hugo Obermeier Gesellschaft. Heidenheim, Germany, April 2015 (poster).

Presentations

Litzenberg, R. (2023). Figurative art in the Swabian Aurignacian: everyday objects or ritual items? Ritual in human evolution. Interdisciplinary Perspectives, International Conference 4.-6. October 2023, Tübingen (presentation 06.10.2023).

Litzenberg, R. & Rebentisch, A. (2023). Kunst als Ressource im frühen Jungpaläolithikum. Fallstudien aus Ostfrankreich und dem Aurignacien der Schwäbischen Alb. 87. Jahrestagung des WSVA gemeinsam mit dem MOVA vom 25.-29. September 2023, Tübingen (presentation 27.09.2023).

Bellat, M., Litzenberg, R., Rebentisch, A., Floss, H., Conard, N. J. & Scholten, T. (2023). Understanding the development and expansion of resource uses and access through time with the ResourceCultures concept applied in three study-cases. EAA 29th EAA Annual Meeting. Belfast, Northern Ireland, 30. August - 2. September 2023 (presentation 01.09.2023).

Litzenberg, R. (2023). The ensemble of early art from the Swabian Aurignacian: objects and cultural implications. 87. Jahrestagung des WSVA gemeinsam mit dem MOVA vom 25.-29. September 2023, Tübingen (presentation 28.09.2023).

Litzenberg, R. (2022). The ivory statuettes of the Swabian Jura: re-evaluating interpretative models for the earliest figurative art. Scientific lectures at the Musée de l´Homme, Paris (presentation 29.11.2022).

Litzenberg, R. (2022). Interpreting the earliest figurative art: new perspectives on old hypotheses. Séminaire commun du CRAL, EHESS (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales), Paris (presentation 08.11.2022).

Litzenberg, R. (2022). The Swabian Jura as a center of early art. 47th INHIGEO (International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences) Congress, Les Eyzies (presentation 17.09.2022).

Litzenberg, R. (2022). Approches interprétatives des figurines en ivoire de l'Aurignacien souabe. Vallées de Préhistoire, Semaine scientifique internationale 20 - 24 Juin 2022, Trigance (presentation 20.06.2022).

Litzenberg, R. (2022). A critical assessment of the interpretations of the ivory figurines from the Swabian Aurignacian. Lone Valley UNESCO World Heritage Lecture series, Blaubeuren (presentation 26.05.2022).

Litzenberg, R. (2021). The Aurignacian art of the Swabian Jura – outline of a doctoral project. Colloquium of the Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen (presentation 30.08.2021).

Litzenberg, R. (2019). Paläolithische Rondelle – unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Funde aus Süddeutschland und der Schweiz. Colloquium of the Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen (presentation 21.01.2019).

Herkert, K., Litzenberg, R., Frick, J. (2017). The Middle Paleolithic of the Côte Chalonnaise – chronology, technology and palethnological elements. The Rhine during the Middle Palaeolithic: Boundary or Corridor? Conference Sélestat, 15.05.2017 – 16.05.2017 (presentation 16.05.2017).

Litzenberg, R. (2015). Analysis of a late middle palaeolithic layer in the Grotte de la Verpillière I in Germolles“. Réunion annuelle du Projet collective de recherche (PCR) "Le Paléolithique supérieur ancien en Bourgogne méridionale” (presentation 24.08.2015).

Scholarships and honorary positions

2020/2021: Elected speaker of the “Arbeitskreis wissenschaftlicher Volontärinnen und Volontäre“ within the Museumsverband Baden-Württemberg

2019: Scholarship of the Dr. Daniel Schuhmann Foundation supporting the master thesis project