About
Thomas Higham serves as a Professor in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna's Faculty of Life Sciences. His research focuses on Paleolithic archaeology, human evolution, and advanced dating methodologies, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals through heritage preservation and environmental understanding.
His primary research interests include radiocarbon dating refinement, Mousterian technology analysis, Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens dispersals, and late Pleistocene hunter-gatherer adaptations. Higham's work integrates biomolecular techniques like ZooMS with traditional archaeological methods to reconstruct human evolutionary trajectories during critical climate transitions.
Current research trends show concentrated focus on Eastern Mediterranean human dispersals, collagen-based dating protocols, and late Pleistocene faunal assemblages, with publications spanning high-impact journals including Scientific Reports and PLoS ONE. His 2022-2025 output demonstrates particular emphasis on Italian and Balkan Paleolithic sites.
Higham leads two major active projects:
- Tracking the dispersal of Homo sapiens into the Levant and across wider Eurasia (Disperse) (2025-2029)
- Human Evolution Beyond Collagen (2024-2027, with E. Vegh)
His scholarly activities include frequent conference presentations such as the 2024 "Prehistory in a New Light" talk, with significant media engagement including coverage by 96 news outlets, 28 X (Twitter) posts, and 3 Facebook pages. His work maintains substantial academic impact with consistent readership on platforms like Mendeley.
