Barbara Horejs

Prof. Barbara Horejs is a leading archaeologist affiliated with the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), serving as Deputy Managing Director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute (ÖAI) and Scientific Director since 2021. She heads the Department of Prehistory & WANA Archaeology and co-leads the FG »Prehistoric Phenomena« research group. Her roles include editorial leadership for journals like Archaeologia Austriaca and series like Mitteilungen der Prähistorischen Kommission.

She holds honorary professorships at the Universities of Tübingen (2015) and Vienna (2022). Her career includes directorships at the ÖAW’s Young Curia (2011–2012) and Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology (2013–2020). Notable awards include the FWF START Prize (2010) and ERC Starting Grant (2011).

Her research focuses on prehistoric archaeology in Southeast Europe and West Asia, specializing in the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods. She leads interdisciplinary projects like the Prehistoric Anatolia and BEAN Project, emphasizing geoarchaeological surveys, material studies, and international collaboration. Projects span sites in Turkey, Greece, Iran, UAE, Bulgaria, and Serbia.

Her work integrates archaeometry, excavation, and landscape archaeology to study Neolithization, technological innovation, and cultural networks. Current initiatives include the Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences (HEAS) leadership role since 2023.