A new visiting Researcher is in Tübingen

Andrei Bălărie is the Deputy Director and researcher at the National Museum of Banat (Romania). His research focuses on funerary archaeology, bioarchaeology, and human interactions within cave environments, with a particular emphasis on the Middle and Late Bronze Age periods in the Banat region. At present he is a guest researcher, in the working group of Professor Dr. Cosimo Posth, at the Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen (Germany). 

Bălărie is currently co-leading an excavation project investigating the unique burial practises at Peștera Românești, a site that provides an exceptional opportunity for bioarchaeological analysis. Unlike other Bronze Age sites in the region, which are characterized by cremation burials, the cave contains secondary inhumation of unburnt human bones.

A core aspect of his work involves the integration of multidisciplinary methods to analyze both the human remains and the surrounding archaeological context. This includes macroscopic analyses of burial practices, microscopic studies of cave sediments, as well as the application of biomolecular techniques such as aDNA and isotopic analysis. These investigations aim to reconstruct aspects of population mobility, health, and dietary patterns, offering new insights into Bronze Age populations and their funerary traditions in a region where skeletal material is rarely preserved. Additionally, his research extends to the Paleolithic habitation at Peștera Românești, exploring long-term human presence and its impact on the cave environment. 

This approach aligns with the broader objectives of GACT, contributing to a deeper understanding of human-environment interactions in cave settings. Through collaborations with researchers from various disciplines, Andrei Bălărie is working on developing a comprehensive sampling strategy that integrates traditional archaeological methods with advanced bioarchaeological and geochemical analyses. 

His work highlights the potential of using archaeological archives and preserved skeletal material to explore complex aspects of human life, death, and adaptation to cave environments, ensuring that future studies can maximize data retrieval while minimizing destructive sampling techniques.

Our visiting researcher program offers a funding for a stay of 3 months in Tübingen for researchers from external institutions, ideally with a completed doctorate. Your project should contribute to our GACT research areas. The steering committee will evaluate the application.

For more information and your application use this form.