Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser

Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser serves as Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz's Institute for Ancient Studies and Director of MONREPOS (Archaeological Research Center and Museum for Human Behavioral Evolution) at the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology in Neuwied, positions she has held continuously since 2003.

Her academic foundation was established through studies in Pre- and Protohistory, Geology/Paleontology, Physical Anthropology, and Classical Archaeology at the Universities of Cologne, Kiel, and Tübingen (1985-1992), culminating in her 1992 doctoral dissertation in Ur- und Frühgeschichte (Pre- and Protohistory).

Professor Gaudzinski-Windheuser's research centers on Paleolithic archaeology with exceptional focus on Neanderthal behavioral patterns, particularly through taphonomic analysis of faunal remains. Her work reconstructs hunting strategies, subsistence economies, and lithic technology development during the Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. Key contributions include identifying close-range hunting techniques through bone lesion analysis, examining megafauna exploitation (notably straight-tucked elephants), and investigating symbolic behavior in Upper Paleolithic societies. Her approach integrates zooarchaeology, spatial analysis, and interdisciplinary collaboration to understand human-environment interactions across Eurasian landscapes.

Publication trends from 1999-2022 reveal consistent methodological rigor in faunal assemblage interpretation, with growing emphasis on Neanderthal agency in landscape modification and technological innovation. Her work spans broad chronological frameworks (Early Pleistocene to Holocene) while maintaining regional depth in Northwestern Europe, particularly through analysis of German sites like Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Oelknitz.

As leader of MONREPOS and its "Pleistocene and Early Holocene Archaeology" Competence Area, she directs a major research infrastructure dedicated to human behavioral evolution studies. The center combines museum exhibitions with active field research, fostering international collaboration in Paleolithic archaeology through its Leibniz Association affiliation.