Primary fields of research

The Neolithic, Neolithic art, 4th and 3rd millennium BC, the Early Neolithic, Middle Neolithic and Late Neolithic, earliest Bronze Age, material and cultural boundaries, continuity and change, cultural diversity and identity, migration, archaeolinguistics.

Current research

• PI of the research project: A World without Images: Uncovering the absence of figurative representations in Early Neolithic northern Europe financed by the Carlsberg Foundation, 2022-2025.

• PI of the research project: Deep histories of migration: the early Neolithic around the North Sea financed by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (IRFD, Grant 0132-00022B), 2021-2025.

• The Neolithic in northern Europe and associated migration patterns, incl. aDNA.

• Introduction of Indo-European languages in the North European Neolithic. Research collaboration with Guus Kroonen, Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics/Leiden University.

• The Pitted Ware culture in Scandinavia, e.g. in collaboration with East Jutland Museum.

• Various aspects of Neolithic art.

CV

Education

2014       PhD, Saxo Institute, section of Archaeology, UCPH.

2007       Mag.art. in Prehistoric Archaeology, Saxo Institute, UCPH.

Employments

2024       Associate professor - promotion programme, Saxo Institute, Archaeology, UCPH.

2020       Associate professor, Saxo Institute, Archaeology, UCPH.

2015-20  Tenure track Assistant professor, Saxo Institute, Archaeology, UCPH.

2015       Postdoc, Saxo Institute, Archaeology, UCPH.

2014-15  External lecturer, Saxo Institute, section of Archaeology, UCPH.

2014       Archaeologist, Museum Nordsjælland, Denmark.

2010-14  PhD candidate, Saxo Institute, section of Archaeology, UCPH.

2007-10  Museum curator, Kroppedal Museum, Denmark.

Fellowships and grants

2023         Independent Research Fund Denmark, Journals | Humanities - Funding of Danish Journal of Archaeology.

2021         The Carlsberg Foundation Semper Ardens Accelerate  – A World without Images: Uncovering the absence of figurative representations in Early Neolithic Northern Europe.

2020         Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) Research Project 2 – Deep histories of migration: the early Neolithic around the North Sea.

2015         Postdoc fellowship, the VELUX Foundation/Museum Østjylland.

2010         Individual PhD fellowship, Independent Research Fund Denmark.

2005-15    Various smaller grants received from: Dronning Margrethe II’s Arkæologiske Fond, Farumgaard-Fonden, Lillian og Dan Finks Fond etc.  

Editorships and Reviewing Activities

Editor at Danish Journal of Archaeology since 2016.

Member of PhD Assessment Committee, University of Olso, 2021/22.

Reviewer of grant applications for the National Science Centre Poland (NCN), executive agency of the Polish Ministry for Science and Higher Education, 2019 and 2020.

Editorial Board, SKALK, Forlaget Wormianum, since 2019.

Co-editor, British Archaeological Reports (BAR), International Series, vol. 2888, in 2018.

Peer reviewer for the journals: Antiquity, Cambridge Archaeological Journal; Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, PLOS ONE; Germania; European Journal of Archaeology; Acta Archaeologica; Journal of Neolithic Archaeology; Current Swedish Archaeology; Danish Journal of Archaeology; Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie; Kuml; Gefjon; By, Marsk og Geest. Besides, peer reviewer of various proceedings.

Institutional Responsibilities

Member of steering committee for UCPH School of Archaeology, 2022-

Head of programme, Prehistoric Archaeology, 2022-.

Chair of PhD Assessment Commitee, 2021/22.

Member of study programme committee for a new BA education at archaeology, Saxo Institute 2021.

Member of educational evaluation committee for Prehistoric Archaeology, Saxo Institute 2020.

Member of assessment committee of PhD applications, Saxo Institute, 2019 and 2020.

Member of study programme committee for a new MA education at prehistoric archaeology, Saxo Institute 2017.

Member of Research Committee, Saxo Institute, UCPH, 2016-19.

Substitute member, Board of Studies, Saxo Institute, UCPH, since 2016.

PhD student representative, Research Committee, Saxo Institute, UCPH, 2012-13

Substitute member, PhD Committee, Faculty of Humanities, UCPH, 2010-11.

Positions of trust outside UCPH

Member of Advisory Board (AAG – Arkæologisk Arbejdsgruppe), The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, Ministry of Culture,  2016-2022.

Member of Steering Committee for establishing a national fond to protect threatened ancient monuments. The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, Ministry of Culture. 2016.

Member of Expert Group advancing archaeological strategies for the excavation of Neolithic sites. The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, Ministry of Culture, since 2014.

Chairman, local section of Danish Association of MAs and PhDs, Kroppedal Museum, 2010.

Teaching

I teach several courses at BA and MA level including: Archaeology, period 3 (Neolithic and Bronze Age in Denmark and Northern Europe); Archaeological Documentation and Analysis; Archaeological Field Techniques and Excavation; Introduction to Archaeology; European Connections; Scandinavian Archaeology.

Supervision of MA theses

I mainly supervise theses concerning the Neolithic and Bronze Age but also more methodological and theoretical theses that run across the traditional archaeological periodization.

I have supervised 16 theses since 2016.

PhD and Postdoc supervision

Lone Claudi-Hansen (ph.d.): Rituals of Culinary Practices. Identifying social and ritual dimensions of foodways in the Funnel beaker culture of Denmark

Rebecca Bristow (ph.d.): Breaking with Tradition: Investigating the disappearance of figurative representations in west-Central Europe during the fifth millennium BCE. A world without images: The absence of figurines in Early Neolithic Northern Europe – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

Valeska Becker (postdoc): A world without images: The absence of figurines in Early Neolithic Northern Europe – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

Mikkel Johansen Nørtoft (ph.d., ended): Social dynamics in Neolithic and Bronze Age Europe: Investigating the male-dominance narrative through archaeology, aDNA, and linguistics.

Mathias Paul Bjørnevad-Ahlqvist (postdoc, ended): Deep histories of migration: the Early Neolithic around the North Sea – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)