Bonn Center for ArchaeoSciences

ArchaeoSciences is one of the working and research areas of the Institute for Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology (IAK). Exploring both prehistoric and historic contexts, the research led in ArchaeoSciences draws on and combines expertise in archaeology, history, biology and chemistry from several faculties at Bonn University. ArchaeoScience research is made possible by the Bonn Center for ArchaeoSciences (BoCAS), a collaborative research and teaching facility bridging laboratory and field work. As a teaching and research unit for scientific applications in archaeology, BoCAS is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation in the funding line Weltwissen – Strukturelle Stärkung ’kleiner Fächer‘.

This working area and its facilities are intended to serve as a hub for collaboration across the university connecting all archaeological disciplines, the humanities and sciences forging links between the Faculty of Arts, the Faculties of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Medicine, and Agriculture. Moreover, BoCAS aims to join forces with museums, other research institutions and universities in the Rhine region and beyond, as well as local stakeholders and research institutions on a national and international level.

The work in BoCAS is based on four pillars:

Research: Our core research strenghts include prehistory, medieval, historical and field archaeology as well as bioarchaeology, archaeoinformatics, physical anthropology and artefact studies.

Teaching: New modules in bioarchaeology and geoarchaeology will be designed for the existing BA and MA courses, and the existing courses in archaeoinformatics will be expanded. In addition, efforts are being made to establish an overarching master's degree program in ArchaeoSciences.

Networking: At regular intervals, all BoCAS members and their cooperation partners come together for "lightning rounds", lecture series, colloquia, workshops and other activities.

Information and advice: Via our website, information on possible cooperation partners and their respective expertise, laboratory equipment as well as newly introduced analytical methods will be made accessible, and wikis will be created.

Academic visitors are kindly asked to approach a member of BoCAS staff to check arrangements for any work they intend to do within the facilities.

Contact Persons

The research area is in its build-up phase and currently consists of Jun.-Prof. Dr. Alice Toso, and Dr. Eva Rosenstock as coordinator of BoCAS. Another professorship as well as student assistants will complement the team. Lab and office space for BoCAS is currently implemented in the AVZ III building, Römerstraße 164 (offices: R 2.033 and R 2.024, labs: R 3.010 and R. 3.020). Besides its own equipment, BoCAS aims to collaborate and share resources with existing laboratories.

Applicants at the Volkswagen Foundation and spokesmen of the BoCAS are Prof. Dr. Jan Bemmann, Prof. Dr. Martin Bentz and Prof. Dr. Nikolai Grube.