Angel Blanco-Lapaz

To clarify the origin of fish bone accumulations in European Paleolithic cave contexts, as well as to increase our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems and their role during not only this period but throughout human evolution, I am conduncting exhaustive studies of several Paleolithic sites of most ages in Germany (Swabian Jura, Hohle Fels, Hohlenstein Stadel) and the Iberian Peninsula (Cantabrian-Central region), from a taphonomical, taxonomical, and ecological points of view. The sites included in this study have been chosen for their high-resolution stratigraphy, their relevance as Paleolithic archaeological sites, and their accurate recovery of small remains. Sites presenting non-anthropogenic fish assemblages (Gran Dolina and Cueva de la Buena Pinta, Iberian Peninsula) are included for comparison.

In addition, I am working also on several fish assemblages from Pleistocene sites of the Iberian Peninsula (Barranco León, Fuentenueva 3 and Baza) and Germany (Helga Abri), Pliocene-Pleistocene site of Dmanisi (Republic of Georgia), Neolithic sites (La Draga, El Mirador) and Middle Age sites (El Catllar, Castell de Montsoriu).
 

2021 – 2024	PhD Student Institute for Natural Scientific Archaeology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen
2011-2021	Master of Prehistorical Archaeology Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain Committee: Dr. Maria Sana Seguí Research title: “La ictioarqueologia en el marc de la recerca arqueológica. Els exemples dels jaciments arqueológics de la Draga i el Castell de Montsoriu”
2012	Tanatopraxis technician. Spanish Institute of Tanatopraxis
2011	Restoration (bones and fossils) technician. Escola de Restauració ECORE de Barcelona
2010	Plastination technician. Faculty of Veterinary. University of Murcia
2009	Taxidermy technician. Escuela Taller Taxidermia Lorenzo Campon. Cáceres, Spain
2003	Master of Experimental Geology University of Barcelona, Spain Committee: Dr. Rosa Domènech Research title: “Optimització energética i mida cerebral a Canariomys bravoi (Muridae, Rodentia) del Plio-Pleistocè de les Illes Canàries”
1998-2003	Bachelor of Geology Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain

Instructor - “Betreuung von Sammlungen”, 2016-present. Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie, Universität Tübingen.

Instructor - “Microfauna from Archaeological Contexts“, 2017-2023. Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie, Universität Tübingen.

• Since 06/2015: Collection Manager of the Zooarchaeology and Archaeobotany Collections (Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, SHEP).
• 2014: Technician. IPHES (Tarragon, Spain).
• 2012-2013: Tanatoprator. Serveis Funeraris Integrals (Barcelona, Spain)
• 2012: Excavation director. Geoterna SL (Huesca, Spain). Restoration of two shark taxidermies (Natural History Museum of Madrid, Spain).
• 2011: Excavation director. Geoterna SL (Sta. Perpètua de Mogoda, Spain). Several taxidermies and mounted skeletons (Aquarium of Barcelona, Museum of Moià, Zoo of Barcelona.
• 2010: Paleontologist. Geoterna SL (Oligocene site of El Talladell, Lleida, Spain).
• 2009-2011: Curatorial Preparator, Project Manager. Geoterna SL (Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Spain).
• 2008: Excavation director. Geoterna SL (Sta. Perpètua de Mogoda, Olesa de Montserrat and Viladecavalls, Spain). Curatorial Preparator, Project Manager. Geoteran SL (Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Spain).
• 2007. Preparator. Geoterna SL (Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Spain). Excavation director. Geoterna SL (Viladecavalls and Vallparadís, Spain)
• 2006. Collection Manager. Geoterna SL (Catalan Insitute of Palaeontology, Sabadell, Spain)

Since 2002, I have participated in several excavation campaigns in Spain (Barranco León, Baza, Quibas, Fuentenueva 3, Atapuerca, Venta Micena and Fumanya), Republic of Georgia (Dmanisi), South Africa (Sibudu), Iran (Ghar-e Boof), and Germany (Hohle Fels, Schafstall, Langmahdhalde).

ORCID: 0000-0003-3860-1437 
https://www.researchgate.net

Peer reviewed

Blain, H-A., Laplana, C., Sánchez-Bandera, C., Mielgo, C., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Marquina-Blasco, R., Fagoaga, A., Bisbal-Chinesta, J.F., Martín-Perea, D.M., Falguères, C., Higham, T., Ruiz Zapata, M.B., Gil García, M.J., Sevilla, P., Huguet, R., Márquez, B., Pérez-González, A., Arsuaga, J.L., Baquedano, E. 2025. New palaeoecological insights for the Late Pleistocene Neanderthal mountain occurrence at Buena Pinta Cave (Iberian Central System, Pinilla-del-Valle, Madrid, Spain). Quaternary Science Reviews. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109355

Krauß, R., Ciobataru, D., Miller, C., Starkovich, B.M., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Marinova, E., Teodori, L., Fischer, E. 2025. The Early Neolithic Settlement of Movila lui Deciov in Romanian Banat. Praehistorische Zeitschrift.  DOI: 10.1515/pz-2025-2007

Blanco-Lapaz, A., Hernández Luján, À., Demirci, E., Sanjuan Girbau, J. 2024. Early Pleistocene freshwater fish from Dursunlu (Ilgın Basin, south-western Türkiye): Implications for early hominin dispersals out of Africa. DOI: 10.1016/j.qeh.2024.100029

Piñero, P., Agustí, J., Blain, H-A., Alberdi, M.T., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Furió, M. 2024. A revisit to the Early Pliocene site of Abla (Guadix-Baza Basin, southern Spain). Geobios. DOI: 10.1016/j.geobios.2023.12.009

Blanco-Lapaz, A., Marín-Arroyo, A.B., Guitérrez-Zugasti, I., González-Echegary de Yarto, F., González-Morales, M.R. 2023. Coastal and Inland subsistence strategies during the Gravettian in the Cantabrian Region (northern Iberian Peninsula). Quaternary Science Advances. DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2023.100106

Blanco-Lapaz A., Fischl, K.P., Röpke, A.K., Zerl, T., Nolde, N., Schmid, M., Kienlin, T.L. 2023. Freshwater Landscape Reconstruction from the Bronze Age Site of Borsodivánka (North-Eastern Hungary). Diversity. DOI: 10.3390/d15030340

Blanco-Lapaz, A., Mata-González, M., Starkovich, B.M., Zeidi, M., Conard, N.J. 2022. Late Pleistocene environments in the southern Zagros of Iran and their implications for human evolution. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-02201615-1

Blain, H-A., Laplana, C., Sánchez-Bandera, C., Fagoaga, A., Blanco-Lapaz, A. et al. 2022. A warm and humid paleoecological context for the Neanderthal mountain settlement at the Navalmaíllo rockshelter (Iberian Central System, Madrid). Quaternary Science Reviews. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107727

Luzi, E., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Rhodes, S.E., Conard, N.J. 2022. Paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on the small vertebrates from the Middle Paleolithic of Hohle Fels Cave, SW Germany. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-022-01568-5

Starkovich, B.M., Cuthbertson, P., Kitagawa, K., Thompson, N.C., Konidaris, G.E., Rots, V., Münzel, S.C., Giusti, D., Schmid, V.C., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Lepers, C and Tourloukis, V.2020. Minimal Tools, Maximum Meat: A Pilot Experiment to Butcher an Elephant Foot and Make Elephant Bone Tools Using Lower Paleolithic Stone Tool Technology. Ethnoarchaeology. DOI:10.1080/19442890.2020.1864877 

Blanco-Lapaz, A., Kitagawa, K., Kind, C-J. 2021. Aquatic resources exploitation during the Palaeolithic in the Swabian Jura based on fish remains from Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave. Quartär 68:25-38. 

Blanco-Lapaz, A., Martínez-Monzón, A., Blain, H-A., Cuenca-Bescós, G. 2021Early-Middle Pleistocene freshwater ecosystems in the Sierra de atapuerca (northern Iberia) based on the Gran Dolina fisch record. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology. DOI:10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110444

Starkovich, B.M., Cuthbertson, P., Kitagawa, K., Thompson, N.C., Konidaris, G.E., Rots, V., Münzel, S.C., Giusti, D., Schmid, V.C., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Lepers, C and Tourloukis, V.2020. Minimal Tools, Maximum Meat: A Pilot Experiment to Butcher an Elephant Foot and Make Elephant Bone Tools Using Lower Paleolithic Stone Tool Technology. Ethnoarchaeology. DOI:10.1080/19442890.2020.1864877

Blanco-Lapaz, A., Mata-González, M., Starkovich, B.M., Zeidi, M., Conard, N.J. 2020. The Microvertebrate Assemblage of Ghar-e Boof (Iran): New data for the Late Pleistoce Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Southern Zagros Mountains. Proceedings III MVWG Meeting. Tarragona 2020.

Agustí, J., Pinero, P., Furió, M., Blain, H-A., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Oms, O., Chochisvili, G., Lordkipanidze, D. 2020. Small vertebrates from the upper Miocene hominoid-bearing site of Udabno, Georgia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2019.1716776

Blanco-Lapaz. A. 2019. 15. Fische in: Löwenmensch und mehr. 5. Die Grabungen 2009 bis 2013 in der Stadel-Höhle. Forschungen und Berichte zur Archäologie in Baden-Württemberg, Kind, C-J (Hrsg.)

Münzel, S.C., Hess, T., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Conard, N.J. 2019. Faunal remains of Helga Abri, a Late Magdalenian/Early Mesolithic rockshelter in the Ach Valley near Schelklingen (Swabian Jura). Proceedings of the Hugo Obermaier Meeting 2019.

Blain, H-A., Agustí, J., Lozano-Fernández, I., Pinero, P., Sánchez-Bandera, C., Jimémenez-Moreno, J.M. 2018. Investigating the paleoecological context of the earliest hominin settlement in western Europe using small vertebrates. Proceedings in 13th ICAZ. Paleoecology of the Quaternary using Microvertebrate records.

Antolín F., Berihuete, M., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Buxó, R., Garcia, L., Marlasca, R., Naarrete, V., Saña, M. and Verdún, E. 2018. El rebost domèstic i el rebost salvatge in La Revolució Neolítica. La Draga, el poblat dels prodigis. ISBN 9788439396505. pp 45-50

Blanco, A., Szabó, M., Blanco-Lapaz, A. and Marmi, J. 2017. Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes from northeastern Iberia. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 465:278-294

Rey-Rodríguez, I., López-García, J.M., Bennàsar, M., Bañuls-Cardona, S., Blain, H-A., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Rodríguez-Alvárez, X-P., Lombera-Hermida, A., Díaz-Rodríguez, M., Ameijenda-Igleisas, A., Agustí, J., Fábregas-Valcarce, R. 2016. Last Neanderthals and first Anatomically Modern Humans in the NW Iberian Peninsula: Climatic and environmental conditions inferred from the Cova Eirós small-vertebrate assemblage during MIS 3. Quaternary Science Reviews 151:185-197

Blanco-Lapaz, A. and Vergès, J-M. 2016. Fish remains from the Neolithic site of El Mirador cave (Atapuerca, Spain): Seasonality and resource management. Comptes Rendus Palevol 15(6). DOI: 10.1016/j.crpv.2015.09.007

Blanco-Lapaz, A. and Solís, G. 2014. Restoration of mounted animals – new techniques in old taxidermies. Journal of Paleontological Techniques Special Volume 13:70-74

Blanco-Lapaz, A. 2009. Processing and mounting of a red neck ualabi skeleton (Macropus rufogriseus). Paleontologia I Evolució, Memòria especial 4(2009):169-173)

Blanco-Lapaz, A. and Orta, C. 2009. Naturalization of an ophidia (Eunectes murinus). Paleontologia I Evolució, Memòria especial 4(2009):241-244

Roqué, L., Blanco-Lapaz, A. and Orta, C. 2009. Falco tinnunculus skeleton preparation. Paleontologia i Evolució, memoria especial 4(2009):245-251

Blanco-Lapaz, A. 2005. Estudio de Canariomys bravoi (Crusafont y Petter, 1964) del Plio-Cuaternario de las Islas Canarias. Un ejemplo de evolución insular. Miscelánea Paleontológica SEPAZ, pp. 187-204

Edited and Special Volumes

Rey-Rodríguez, I., Luzi, E., Rhodes, S.E., Blanco-Lapaz, A. 2025. Editorial preface to the special issue: Palaeoecology and taphonomy of small mammals: Implication for Quaternary human occupations and environmental reconstruction. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 663:112787. DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.112787

Martín-Rodríguez, P., Expóstio-Barea, I., Burguet-Coca, A., Lira-Garrido, J., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Tornero, C.2022. Chapter 12. Husbandry and Wild Animal Exploitation. Characteristics and Evolution from a Multidisciplinary Perspective. In Prehistoric Herders and Farmers. A Transdisciplinary Overview to the Archaeological Record from El Mirador Cave, E. Allué, P. Martín, J.M. Vergès (Eds.). Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-12278-1_12

López-García, J.M., Blain, H-A., Rhodes, S.E., Blanco-Lapaz, A. 2022. Microvertebrate studies in archaeological contexts: Middle Paleolithic to early Holocene past environments.Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-022-01664

Blanco-Lapaz. A. 2019. 15. Fische in: Löwenmensch und mehr. 5. Die Grabungen 2009 bis 2013 in der Stadel-Höhle. Forschungen und Berichte zur Archäologie in Baden-Württemberg, Kind, C-J (Hrsg.) Antolín F., Berihuete, M., Blanco-Lapaz, A., Buxó, R., Garcia, L., Marlasca, R., Naarrete, V., Saña, M. and Verdún, E. 2018. El rebost domèstic i el rebost salvatge in La Revolució Neolítica. La Draga, el poblat dels prodigis. ISBN 9788439396505. pp 45-50