IPHES-CERCA takes part in the international AWRANA 2026 conference held in Pisa
The conference brings together specialists from around the world in use-wear and residue analysis, a key discipline for reinterpreting the archaeological record
From April 8 to 12, 2026, the Italian city of Pisa hosted the fourth edition of the Association of Archaeological Wear and Residue Analysts (AWRANA) conference, a leading international meeting focused on the study of use-wear traces and residues in archaeological materials. Under the theme “Breaking Patterns in Archaeology”, the conference highlighted the transformative role of macro- and microscopic approaches in challenging established interpretations and opening new research avenues.
These methodologies make it possible to reconstruct past human activities with great precision through the analysis of tool surfaces, faunal remains, and organic materials, providing key insights into human behavior, environmental interactions, technological processes, and long-term social and economic transformations. The conference welcomed contributions spanning all chronological periods, from prehistory to recent times, integrating diverse disciplines within an archaeological framework.
IPHES-CERCA participation
The Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA) played a prominent role with several presentations and a poster showcasing its leading research in functional analysis of prehistoric tools:
- Blind Testing Infrared Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Ancient Adhesives: A Comparative Study of microFTIR, SR-microFTIR and ATR-FTIR Methods, de Clarissa Dominici, Chiaramaria Stani, Andreu Ollé, Juan Luis Fernández-Marchena i Francesco Berna.
A blind comparative study evaluating infrared spectroscopy techniques to identify ancient adhesives.
- Bone Retouchers at Gran Dolina Site (Atapuerca, Burgos): A Diachronic Perspective from a Middle Pleistocene Site, de Paula Mateo-Lomba, Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo, Juan Marín, Javier Villalobos, Andion Arteaga-Brieba, Isabel Cáceres, Andreu Ollé, Marina Mosquera i Palmira Saladié
A diachronic study on the use of bones as retouchers in the Middle Pleistocene.
- Functional Diversification and Use of Lithic Resources in the Upper Palaeolithic of Nerja Cave: a Multiscale Traceological Approach, de Juan Luis Fernández-Marchena, Jesús F. Jordá-Pardo i Emili Aura-Tortosa.
A multiscale traceological approach to lithic resource use.
- Pulses and Ground Stone Tools: Reconstructing Prehistoric Human–Plant Relations during the Pre Pottery Neolithic at Kharaysin (Jordan), d’Andrea Zupancich, Juan Muñiz i Juan José Ibáñez.
Reconstruction of human–plant relationships in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic.
- Multi-Technical Sequential Analysis of Stone-Tool Use-Wear, from Qualitative Observation to Quantitative Metrics, Andreu Ollé, Lena Asryan, Juan Luis Fernández-Marchena, Paula Mateo-Lomba, Laxmi Tumung, Antony Borel, Julia Cabanès, Andrea Zupancich, Tamar Bitchashvili, Görkem Cenk Yeşilova.
A protocol integrating qualitative and quantitative analysis.
- Instrument and Workflow Effects on Surface Texture Measurements in Use-Wear Analysis, de Tamar Bitchashvili, Antony Borel i Andreu Ollé.
Study on methodological standardization.
- Reflections and Developments for the Traceological Analysis of Stone Tool Surfaces, d’Antony Borel, Ivan Calandra, Raphaël Deltombe, Andreu Ollé, Philippe Moreau, Miklós Máté Beke, Nikolett Széles, Zsolt Mester, Tamar Bitchashvili, João Marreiros, Robert Sala, Julie Marteau
Advances in surface texture analysis.
- Striations Revisited: a Multi-Scale Assessment of Linear Traces, de Görkem Cenk Yeşilova, Philippe Morea, Raphaël Deltombe, Julie Marteau, Antony Borel, Andreu Ollé
A multiscale reassessment of linear traces.
- Micro-Wear Studies of Archaeological Lava Assemblages, de Lena Asryan i Veerle Rots.
Microscopic analysis of lava tools.
- Crystal-Focused Approaches to Ground Stone Use-Wear: Methods and Insights, de Marina Eguíluz Valentini i Andrea Zupancich.
New crystal-based analytical methods.
- An Expedient Bone Tool Used for Flaying Carcasses by Neanderthal at The Abri Du Maras (France), de Luc Doyon, Juan Marín Hernando, Maïlys Richard, Francesco d’Errico, Marie-Hélène Moncel
Evidence of Neanderthal subsistence practices.
Poster
- Functional Analysis and Experimental Framework of Lithic Industries: Exploring Raw Materials from the Foz do Chapecó Archaeological Zone (Brazil), de Lou Igier, Amélie Da Costa, Antoine Lourdeau, Marcos An experimental framework for lithic functional analysis.
With this participation, IPHES-CERCA strengthens its presence in one of the most relevant international conferences in traceology and functional analysis, standing out for its commitment to methodological innovation and multiscale approaches to the study of past human behavior.