The project ”Experiment-based approach to Middle Stone Age artisanship at Rose Cottage Cave” strikes again. Funded by a Research Grant from The Leakey Foundation, we continue to investigate lithic technology between 100-30 ka at this reference Stone Age site in South Africa.

🚨 ONLY 9 DAYS LEFT TO APPLY! 🚨 🎓 ACADEMIC POSITION: Full-time Professor in Prehistoric Art & Archaeology 📍 University of Liège, Belgium 📅 Start: Sept 1, 2026 ⏰ DEADLINE: Jan 29, 2026 Tenure-track | Teaching + Research + Fieldwork Apply NOW: my.uliege.be/portail/go_x... 🧵⬇️

We’re pleased to announce that Dr Julien d’Huy will give a lecture on Wednesday 17th entitled Remonter les mythes pour éclairer le temps : comment comprendre l'art des cavernes durant le Paléolithique supérieur ?

What better way to end CONEXP than with a series of experimental demonstrations? Thank you to all of our participants and to the Préhistomuseum, it has been such an enriching and engaging experience. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

That’s a wrap on Day 3! Another fantastic day filled with incredible presentations — a big thank you goes out to all of our presenters and attendees. We can’t wait to see you all tomorrow for a full day of experimental archaeology demonstrations at the Préhistomuseum!

What an amazing second day at CONEXP 2025! It’s been an inspiring day filled with presentations, discussions, cultural activities, and fresh perspectives on diverse topics. We’re excited for tomorrow! #conexp2025

Conexp 2025 has started! We look forward to four days of interesting talks, cool posters and exciting experimental demonstrations. Our keynote speaker Miguel Biard tells about the fascinating experiments related to the large blade production at the famous Magdalenian site of Etiolles.

Our colleague Justin Coppe was interviewed today on regional TV channel Quatre Liège's midday news to promote two special events as part of our upcoming CONEXP2025 congress on experimental archaeology: 📺 Watch the broadcast: www.quatre.be/article/le-j...

We are deeply involved in the craft of producing natural fibers, utilising Wommersom quartzite tools to manage brambles, just like Mesolithic hunter-gatherers may have done 10,000 years ago! 🌿🪨 #syntheseonderzoekarcheologie

Conférence inaugurale de @teyssand31.bsky.social (@cnrs.fr) "Seul au monde: comment Sapiens est devenu le dernier humain?" en ouverture du CONEXP2025 (7e Congrès International d’Archéologie Expérimentale) @traceolab.bsky.social @universitedeliege.bsky.social traces.univ-tlse2.fr/accueil/agen...

Want to advance use-wear analysis methodology? OPEN CALL! WE'RE HIRING: POST-DOC POSITION IN TRACEOLAB Topic: optical profilometry of use-wear traces on prehistoric stone tools, methodological development and archaeological application, integration with other methods used in TraceoLab

Sonja, Dries & Veerle co-authored an article in the Journal of Neolithic Archaeology: “From Polishing to Burning: Deciphering a Middle Neolithic Hoard from Beringen Brouwershuis (Belgium) through Functional Analysis.”

Noora had the chance to visit the debated cave site Susiluola (Wolf Cave) and participate together with colleagues in the filming of a documentary series on the history of Finland produced by Yle, to be aired in 2026. Photo credit: Timo Heikkinen & Mikael A. Manninen

We are pleased to announce that Olivier Touzé and Veerle Rots have published their paper "When the hammer drops: Identification of knapping techniques in blade production based on a multi-scale study of knapping traces". Complete paper available at: journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Don’t miss the inaugural conference by Dr. Nicolas Teyssandier, titled Seul au monde: comment Sapiens est devenu le dernier humain? 📅 21 October | 📍 Salle Académique, University of Liège. Don’t miss it!” Register here for the inaugural conference 👉 form.sap.uliege.be/conepx-2025/

We are pleased to announce that our project on the Lommel–Molse Nete Federmesser site has been selected as one of five projects to receive funding by the Flemish Government through Onroerend Erfgoed's 2025 Archaeological Synthesis Research programme. (Photos: © KU Leuven – RS & archeoWorks )

🔬 We are pleased to share the upcoming international hybrid congress “Lessons from the Past: UN Sustainability Goals”, hosted by our colleagues of the University of Liverpool. 🗓️ 23–24 March 2026 📍 Liverpool & Online 🔗 lessonsfromthepast.info

Exciting progress today in our Synthesis project on Mesolithic mobility in the Demer Basin! With Vincent Delvigne ((CNRS and UMR Temps 8068), we're building a flint raw materials library and using petrographic analysis to trace prehistoric movement. 🔍🪨

📢📢 LAST CALL – DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS! 💀🕒 ⏳ FINAL DEADLINE: 31 July — Submit your proposal for oral presentations, posters, or demonstrations at the 🎓 7th International Congress of Experimental Archaeology (CONEXP 2025) | 📅 22–25 October 2025 We can’t wait to welcome you to Liège! 🤩🔥

UMR TEMPS and TraceoLab are hosting the conference 'On the Traces of Prehistoric Individuals: Scientific Challenges, Methods, and Perspectives' in Paris on 26-27 February 2026. Abstract submissions are open and should be sent to [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].

Bullseye! This week at TraceoLab, more than fifty sharp projectiles were launched as part of a summer study on wear patterns. This initiative aims to establish a benchmark for Lola's PhD, which focuses on identifying the components of laterally hafted projectiles.

Archaeological position at TraceoLab (ULiège) - reorganising prehistory collections. Need a Master's in Archaeology, lithic experience, and good organisational skills. Apply to [email protected] by 25/8/25. Start Sep-Oct. Full details: www.traceolab.uliege.be/cms/c_127324... 🏺

📢 Deadline Extension for Abstract Submissions We are delighted to announce that the abstract submission deadline for CONEXP 2025 has been extended to August 1st, 2025! Submit your abstract: www.conexp2025.uliege.be

🏺⚒️ Calling all experimental archaeologists! Only 4 days left to submit your abstracts for CONEXP 2025! More information can be found here: www.conexp2025.uliege.be/cms/c_203331...

First blades produced! The Leakey Foundation-funded experimental project gives us a chance to join forces with expert knapper Morgan Roussel in our research into Middle Stone Age hunter-gatherer technology at Rose Cottage Cave. Collaborators: Noora Taipale, Viola Schmid, Lyn Wadley.

🚨 The CONEXP 2025 website has been freshly updated with additional conference details. 📅 It's the perfect moment to register and send in your abstracts! 📝 Deadline for abstract submissions: July 1st 2025 🔗 Complete details and registration can be found at: www.conexp2025.uliege.be/cms/c_203331...

New study by Tydgadt & Rots in Archaeological & Anthropological Sciences establishes methods for identifying laterally hafted projectiles through experimental wear analysis. This is a vital advancement in identifying Upper Paleolithic tools. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Merci pour tous les bons moments partagés. Tu vas nous manquer, Pierre. Thank you for the wonderful moments we shared. We will miss you Pierre.

We’re deeply concerned about the disappearance of our colleague Pierre Noiret. Please share and help us spread the word. For more information please check: www.police.be/avis-de-rech...

We were delighted to welcome Dr. Alejandro Prieto from the University of Barcelona for an insightful 4-day workshop on quartzite analysis. His knowledge of stone materials greatly enriches our archaeological research. Many thanks to our Faculty for the SPUR grant! #Archaeology

The organizing committee is excited to announce the launch of the official website for the 7th International Congress of Experimental Archaeology (CONEXP 2025), taking place in Liège, Belgium from October 22 to 25, 2025. Visit www.conexp2025.uliege.be for more information.

We're making exciting progress on our new synthesis project funded by the Flemish government! The project "Mobility Network and Lifestyle of Mesolithic Hunter-Gatherers in the Demer Basin" addresses key questions about Mesolithic life in the Demer Basin.

Join us at TraceoLab Research Seminars on March 27 at ULiège's Grand Physique. At 13:30, Sol Sánchez-Dehesa Galán will discuss hominin cognition and knapping skills, followed by Osman Khaleel at 14:30 on human movement and technology in MSA Sudan.

New preprint from our team: "When the hammer drops: Identification of knapping techniques in blade production based on a multi-scale study of knapping traces." Integrating micro/macro analyses improves knapping trace identification. osf.io/dya96_v1

New preprint: "Does point size matter? Morphometric arguments in Palaeolithic weaponry models" Our study challenges reliance on TCSA/TCSP for weapon identification. Small points ≠ arrow tips! Experimental data shows these metrics don't reliably predict weapon type. zenodo.org/records/15051934

Join us Thursday for a session with Professor Andreas Maier (University of Cologne) on "Population dynamics and demographic insights of the European Upper and Final Palaeolithic" in our "Current Debates in Prehistory" course. 20/02/2025, 11 AM–1 PM at the Museum of Prehistory.

Excited to share our new publication: "Let's cut to the chase and rely on fracture mechanics to identify projectile armatures" 🏹🔍 in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. This study shows how fracture mechanics help identify lithic projectile armatures. 👉 Read more: buff.ly/WvAh2C6 📚

1/3 New recommendation: Tomasso, Cnuts (@palaeoprop.bsky.social), Geerts, Vanmontfort & @veerlerots.bsky.social (2025). From polishing to burning: deciphering a Middle Neolithic hoard from Beringen Brouwershuis (Belgium) through functional analysis. doi.org/10.31219/osf... 🧪🏺 @traceolab.bsky.social

Last week, we welcomed Morgan Roussel and Viola Schmid for MSA lithic experiments at Rose Cottage Cave. Viola co-directs the excavation, while Morgan, a knapping expert, aids in understanding local raw materials. Thanks to SPUR and FNRS for funding! #Lithics #MSA #ExperimentalArchaeology

Lecture: A Cultural Turning Point – Join Viola Schmid on Feb 14, 2025, at 11:00 at ULiège - Musée de la Préhistoire to explore the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa. Discover cultural shifts and innovations from Bushman Rock Shelter, Rose Cottage Cave, and Sibudu Cave. #Archaeology #MiddleStoneAge

Join us on Feb 6, 2025, at 2:00 PM at the Museum of Prehistory for a deep dive into the taphonomy of Ormesson-les-Bossats (Seine-et-Marne, France) with Pierre Bodu (CNRS, UMR TEMPS) to hear about an exceptional site, inhabited by Neanderthals & Homo sapiens between 100,000 – 20,000 BP.