IPHES-CERCA participates in the 32nd Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in Athens
From 26 to 29 August 2026, Athens (Greece) hosted the 32nd Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA), one of the leading international scientific gatherings in the field of European archaeology.
The congress brought together researchers from across Europe and other regions of the world to share the latest advances in archaeological research, present new results, and foster scientific exchange and collaborative networks. The meeting covers a wide range of disciplines, chronological periods and methodological approaches, as well as issues related to the management, protection and interpretation of archaeological heritage.
Holding the congress in Athens also had particular significance given the city’s close connection with the study, conservation and dissemination of archaeological heritage. Historically situated at a crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, the Greek capital is one of the world’s leading centres for research into the past and a privileged meeting point for discussing the current challenges facing archaeology.
IPHES-CERCA played an active role in this 32nd edition of the EAA, with researchers from the centre participating in several scientific sessions, oral presentations and posters. The contributions reflect the diversity of research lines developed at the Institute and provide an opportunity to share recent results with the international archaeological community.
Presentations, posters and sessions with IPHES-CERCA participation
1.- Aitor Burguet-Coca, Isabel Expósito, Nit Cano-Cano, Josep Maria Vergès and Ethel Allué. Micro-archaeobotanical remains and taphonomic processes in fumier deposits: evidence from El Mirador cave
Summary: The study analyses microarchaeobotanical remains from fumier deposits at El Mirador cave (Atapuerca), dating to the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The integrated analysis of phytoliths, spherulites and pollen assesses how fire, humidity and other post-depositional processes affect the preservation of these remains and interpretations of plant use.
2.- Tomás Fernández Iriarte, Ethel Allué, Llorenç Gelabert and Bàrbara Mas. Fuelwood collection practices in shifting environments: The case of Late Upper Palaeolithic in NE Iberian Peninsula
Summary: This research examines fuelwood gathering and management practices among Late Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer groups in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. Comparing anthracological records from different ecological areas provides insights into how changes in vegetation and biodiversity influenced the exploitation of fuel resources.
3.- Ethel Allué, Llorenç Picornell Gelabert, Tomás Fernández Iriarte, Nina Laming Lopez, Aitor Burguet-Coca, Isabel Expósito, Narmada Hansani, Canisius Kayombo, Mhoza Felix and R. M. Chandraratne. Etnoarchaeology of fuels: Observing short-term transformations in changing environments throughout Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Summary: This study compares fuel-management practices among Maasai communities in Tanzania and Vedda communities in Sri Lanka through ethnoarchaeological interviews, particularly with women. The research documents the persistence of traditional knowledge related to fuelwood collection and use despite the major environmental, social and economic changes experienced by these communities.
4.- Andrea Alias Sotos, Daniel Gallego Morales, Aina Martí Peñas, Piyumi Embuldeniya, P. Narmada Hansani, Theekshana Athukorala, Natacha Filippi, Prabath Ekanayake and R. M. Chandraratne. Board games for international scientific dissemination: breaking cultural barriers through play in disseminating research on past energy use
Summary: This contribution presents the development of a board game as a tool for communicating research on archaeobotany, traditional plant uses and past energy resources. Based on studies conducted in Sri Lanka, France, Catalonia and Mallorca, the game has been adapted to different cultural and educational contexts and has begun to be tested in schools in Sri Lanka.
5.- Mónica Fernández García, Jennifer Jones and Rosa Arniz-Mateos. Isotopic and multi-proxy insights into palaeoclimate, ecosystems and prehistoric human decision-making in Eurasian prehistory. Session organisation.
Summary: The session focuses on reconstructing past climates and ecosystems across Eurasia, from the Pleistocene to the Middle Holocene, and their influence on prehistoric populations. It brings together studies primarily based on stable isotopes, geochemistry and other biomolecular approaches applied to bioarchaeological remains.
6.- Mónica Fernández García. A regional palaeoenvironmental synthesis of the MIS 3-2 transition in Iberia through stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C) on small-mammal remains
Summary: The study presents a regional synthesis of palaeoenvironmental evolution in the Iberian Peninsula between MIS 3 and MIS 2 based on stable isotope analyses of rodent dental remains. Data from several archaeological sites provide insights into environmental conditions between approximately 60,000 and 20,000 years ago and help contextualise human occupation patterns during this period.
7.- Tamar Bitchashvili, Julia Cabanès and Görkem Yeşilova. Quantitative and experimental approaches to use-wear analysis: methods, metrics, and workflows. Session organisation.
Summary: The session explores new quantitative and experimental approaches to functional analysis and use-wear formation on stone tools. Particular attention is given to microscopy, 3D metrology and quantitative analysis, as well as the need to establish comparable and reproducible methodologies across different studies.
8.- Julia Cabanès and Tamar Bitchashvili. Integrating experiments and multi-microscopy approaches to investigate wear formation on different raw materials
Summary: This research experimentally investigates how use-wear forms on tools made from different raw materials. Combining optical, 3D digital and confocal microscopy makes it possible to compare surface modifications and assess the complementary information provided by each technique for interpreting tool function.
9.- Tamar Bitchashvili, Andreu Ollé, Antony Borel and Eötvös Loránd. From Data Acquisition to Interpretation: Analytical factors affecting reliability and comparability in quantitative use-wear analysis
Summary: The study assesses how different stages of quantitative use-wear analysis can affect the results obtained. Using experimental flint tools analysed through confocal microscopy, the research highlights the importance of standardising procedures to improve the reliability, comparability and reproducibility of functional studies.
10.- Bruno Gómez de Soler, Pablo Rodríguez-Salgado, Julian Menuge, Maurice Brodbeck, Judit Brià, Amèlia Bargalló, Francesca Romagnoli, Palmira Saladié, Josep Vallverdú and Gema Chacón. Decoding Middle Palaeolithic Mobility: A Multi-Scalar Approach to Lithic Procurement Patterns and Settlement Dynamics in Northeast Iberia
Summary: The study reconstructs Neanderthal mobility and lithic raw-material procurement strategies based on Level N of Abric Romaní, dating to around 55,000 years ago. Combining petrographic and geochemical analyses with zooarchaeological, taphonomic and spatial data reinforces the interpretation of this level as a short-term occupation.
A broad and interdisciplinary participation
IPHES-CERCA’s participation in this edition of the EAA highlights the diversity and interdisciplinary nature of the research carried out at the centre. The contributions cover areas including archaeobotany, ethnoarchaeology, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, functional analysis of stone tools, the study of Neanderthal mobility and science communication.
Participation in a major international meeting such as the Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists also strengthens IPHES-CERCA’s international presence, fostering knowledge exchange and the development of new collaborative networks with researchers and institutions worldwide