Zooarchäologie

Ivo Verheijen

Address
Research centre Schöningen/Senckenberg HEP
Paläon 1
38364 Schöningen

Research project

The site of Schöningen (Lower-Saxony, Germany) plays a key role in the hunter-gatherer debate, demonstrating that Homo heidelbergensis was a well-equipped, active hunter 300.000 years ago. Reconstructing the natural environment of these past humans is essential to understand their subsistence strategies. In my PhD research, I am studying the late Middle Pleistocene carnivore fauna of Schöningen and the impact that carnivores left on the skeletal assemblage found at the site. By characterizing the Schöningen carnivores and reconstructing their diet through a multi-proxy approach, we try to get a picture of how humans and carnivores were competing over resources at the time. This study adds to our understanding of how humans were interacting with their natural environment during the late Middle Pleistocene.

Education

May 2017- Present

PhD Student

Research centre Schöningen/Senckenberg HEP

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Nicholas J. Conard, Dr. Britt M. Starkovich

September 2017

Researchmaster Bioarchaeology, Leiden University

Graduated cum laude

January 2015

Bachelor Archaeology, Leiden University

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Thijs van Kolfschoten

Field schools and excavations

2017-2021

Excavation Schöningen (DE), University of Tübingen

2018

Excavation Marathousa 1 site, Megalopolis (GR), University of

Tübingen

2017

Excavation Einhornhöhle, Lower Saxony (DE), with the Niedersachsisches

Landesamt für Denkmalpflege

2015

Expedition member Northern Siberia (RU), project ‘Northern oecomune’

under supervision of the Mammoth Museum in Yakutsk.

2014-2017

Fieldschool Barnham (UK), Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden &

University and the British Museum, London.

2012-2013

Fieldschool Schöningen (DE), Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University &

University of Tübingen.

Peer-reviewed publications

  • Tucci, M., Krahn, K.J., Richter, D., van Kolfschoten, T., Rodríguez Álvarez, B., Verheijen, I., Serangeli, J., Lehmann, J., Degering, D., Schwalb, A., Urban, B., 2021. Evidence for the age and timing of environmental change associated with a Lower Palaeolithic site within the Middle Pleistocene Reinsdorf sequence of the Schöningen coal mine, Germany. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 569(1), 110309.

  • Van Vliet, H.J., Bosselaers, M., Vahldiek, B.W., Paymans, T., Verheijen, I. 2020. Eocene cetaceans from the Helmstedt region, Germany, with some remarks on Platyosphys, Basilotritus and Pachycetus. Cainozoic Research 20(1), 121-148.

  • Janssens, L.A.A., Verheijen, I.K.A., Serangeli, J., Van Kolfschoten, T. 2019. Shoulder osteoarthritis in a European saber-toothed cat (Homotherium latidens) from the Lower Palaeolithic site of Schöningen (Germany). International Journal of Palaeopathology 24, 279-285.

  • Serangeli, J., Rodríguez-Álvarez, B., Tucci, M., Verheijen, I., Bigga, G., Böhner, U., Urban, B., Van Kolfschoten, T., Conard, N.J. 2018. The Project Schöningen from an ecological and cultural perspective. Quaternary Science Reviews 198, 140-155.

  • Kuijper, W.J., Verheijen, I., Ramcharan, A., Van der Plicht, J., Van Kolfschoten, T. 2016. One of the last wild brown bears (Ursus arctos) found in the Netherlands (Noordwijk), Lutra 59, 49-64.

  • Serangeli, J., Van Kolfschoten, T., Starkovich, B.M., Verheijen, I., 2015. The European Saber-toothed cat (Homotherium latidens) found in the “Spear Horizon” at Schöningen (Germany), Journal of Human Evolution 89, 172-180.

  • Van Kolfschoten, T., Buhrs, E., Verheijen, I., 2015. The larger mammal fauna from the Lower Palaeolithic Schöningen Spear site and its contribution to hominin’s subsistence, Journal of Human Evolution 89, 138-153.

Other Publications

  • Lehmann, J., Verheijen, I., Serangeli, J., Mertens, W., Conard, N. 2021. 218 Schöningen FstNr. 13 II, Gde. Stadt Schöningen, Ldkr. Helmstedt. Fundchronik Niedersachsens 2019, Beiheft 24, 162– 167

  • Verheijen, I., 2020. Behind the scenes: het skelet van ‘Nelly’ de bosolifant uit Schöningen. Cranium 37(2), 94- 101.

  • Lehmann, J., Verheijen, I., Serangeli, J., Mertens, W., Conard, N. 2020. 202 Schöningen FstNr. 13 II-4, Gde. Stadt Schöningen, Ldkr. Helmstedt. Fundchronik Niedersachsens 2018, Beiheft 23, 151– 154.

  • Serangeli, J., Verheijen, I., Rodríguez Álvarez, B., Altamura, F., Lehmann, J., Conard, N.J. 2020. Elefanten in Schöningen. Archäologie in Deutschland 03/2020, 8-13.

  • Serangeli, J., Ramcharan, A., Verheijen, I., van Kolfschoten, T. 2018. Die Säbelzahnkatze von Schöningen. In Terberger, T., Böhner, U., Hillgruber, F., Kotula, A. (Eds.) 300.000 Jahre Spitzentechnik, der altsteinzeitliche Fundplatz Schöningen und die frühesten Speere der Menschheit, wbg Theiss, 97-101.

  • Bonhof, W., Verheijen, I., Loonen, M. 2017. Uitgestorven, maar nog niet veilig: hoe klimaatverandering de mammoet bedreigt. Paleo-aktueel 28, 121-127.

  • Kuijper, W. & Verheijen, I. 2017. De beer van Noordwijk. Cranium 34 (2), 28-30.

  • Verheijen, I. 2017. Beyond sabres: The Schöningen Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846) finds and their implications for hominin subsistence in the Lower Palaeolithic of Europe. Researchmaster thesis, Faculteit der Archeologie, Universiteit Leiden.

  • Verheijen, I., 2015. Expeditie Siberië, Cranium 32(2), 30-37.

  • Verheijen, I., 2014. De Cervidae van de Vroeg-Paleolithische site Schöningen (Nedersaksen, Duitsland). Bachelor thesis, Faculteit der Archeologie, Universiteit Leiden.

Conference talks and posters

  • Verheijen, I., Starkovich, B., Conard, N.J., 2021. Carnivore taphony in Schöningen.The Past and Present Kingdom of Carnivores: Taphonomy, Eco-ethology, Biodiversity. Implications on the Human Behaviour, Online Webbinar, Taphen Network, 28th of May 2021, online.

  • Altamura, F., Verheijen, I., Rodríguez Álvarez, B., Lehmann, J., Serangeli, J., Conard, N.J., 2020. Ongoing ichnological research at the 300 ka Schöningen archaeological site (Germany). Poster presentation, ESHE, 24 -25 September 2020, online.

  • Serangeli, J., Rodríguez-Álvarez, B., Verheijen, I., Conard, N.J., 2019. Gatherers, hunters and more than ten dead elephants in Schöningen. Hugo Obermaier Tagung, 23-27 April 2019, Erkrath (DE).

  • Verheijen, I., 2019. The Schöningen carnivore fauna: new insights from the interglacial optimum of Schöningen. Valedictory symposium Prof. Thijs van Kolfschoten, 7 March 2019, Universiteit Leiden (NL).

  • Verheijen, I., van Kolfschoten, T., Serangeli, J., Welker, F., Starkovich, B., Bocherens, H., Conard, N.J., 2018. The carnivore fauna of the Middle Pleistocene sites of Schöningen, Germany. 24th International Cave Bear Symposium, 29 September 2018, Chepelare (BG).

  • Verheijen, I., Conard, N.J., van Kolfschoten, T., 2018. The carnivore fauna of Schöningen – First year results of PhD Research. Kolloquium Forschungsprojekt Schöningen, Paläon – Forschungs und Erlebniszentrum Schöninger Speere, 12 Juni 2018, Schöningen (DE)

  • Serangeli, J., Rodríguez-Álvarez, B., Verheijen, I., Haidle, M.N., Conard N.J., 2018. Chaîne opératoire in Schöningen: an example from the Middle Pleistocene? UISPP 2018, 4-7 Juni 2018, Paris (FR).

  • Verheijen, I., 2018. The Schöningen carnivore guild: taxonomy, taphonomic impact and relevance to hominin subsistence. Schöningen 25 years of research, 20 September 2018, Universiteit Leiden(NL).

  • Verheijen, I., 2014. The Cervidae from the Palaeolithic sites in Schöningen, Kolloquium Forschungsprojekt Schöningen, 8 Februari 2014, Paläon – Forschungs und Erlebniszentrum Schöninger Speere, Schöningen (DE).

Public talks

  • Serangeli, J., Verheijen, I., 2019. Verspreiding en weergave van de wolf tijdens het Laat-Paleolithicum in Europa. Presentation for the Dutch working group for Pleistocene mammals (Werkgroep Pleistocene Zoogdieren (WPZ)), 10th of November 2019, Natuurpark Lelystad (NL).

  • Verheijen, I., 2019. In den beginnen: een zoektocht naar het ree in de prehistorie van Nederland. Presentation for the Dutch hunting society, 24th of May 2019, Nederlands Jachtmuseum, kasteel Doorwerth (NL).

  • Verheijen, I., 2017-2021. Several public talks at the Paläon various subjects related to the fauna from Schöningen (DE)

  • Verheijen, I., 2016. Expeditie Siberië. Award lecture for the Leiden University Fund at the Cleveringa lectures, 24th of November, Dutch embassy in Paris (FR).

  • Verheijen, I., 2016. Several talks on my expedition to Siberia and the Pleistocene fauna from the permafrost of Siberia at the Natural History Museum NCB Naturalis in Leiden (NL).

  • Verheijen, I., 2015. Op expeditie naar Siberië. Presentation for the Dutch working group for Pleistocene mammals (Werkgroep Pleistocene Zoogdieren (WPZ)), 28th of November 2015, Zaandam (NL).