معرفی
Francesco D'Errico serves as a Research Director at CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) affiliated with the University of Bordeaux through UMR PACEA (De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie). His extensive research career spans several decades with significant contributions to paleoanthropology and prehistoric archaeology.
- Specialization Diploma in Prehistoric Archaeology (University of Pisa, Italy)
- Doctoral Thesis, National Museum of Natural History (Paris, 1989)
- HDR (University of Bordeaux 1, 2003)
D'Errico's research focuses on the cognitive evolution of fossil hominins and early modern humans through the analysis of symbolic representations, technical behaviors, and relationships with the environment. His groundbreaking work has challenged the long-accepted model of a symbolic revolution corresponding to the arrival of anatomically modern humans in Europe 40,000 years ago, demonstrating that elaborate bone ornaments, engravings, pigments, and tools were already in use in Africa at least 80,000 years ago. His research falls primarily within PACEA Theme 2 (Archaeology of Death, Rites, and Symbols), addressing fundamental questions about the emergence of modern human behaviors across different continents.
Analysis of D'Errico's recent publications reveals consistent focus on symbolic cognition, material culture analysis, and human cognitive evolution across multiple continents. His work spans from early hominin bone technology in Africa to Upper Paleolithic ornamentation in Europe, with increasing integration of neuroimaging and interdisciplinary approaches to understand cognitive evolution. The trend shows growing attention to methodological innovation, particularly through spatial statistics, multivariate analyses, and neuroarchaeological approaches that bridge archaeological evidence with cognitive science.
- Coordinator of the LABEX CUMILA Consolidation Project (2020-2021)
- Coordinator of the CNRS PRIME 80 NEUROBEADS Project (2019-2022)
- CO-PI ERC Synergy Grant QUANTA (2021-2027)
- Leader of the HUMAN PAST Project (2021-2028)
D'Errico leads major international research collaborations and coordinates the PACEA Theme 2 research group focused on the archaeology of death, rites, and symbols. His laboratory work integrates archaeological fieldwork with experimental approaches, neuroimaging studies, and material science analyses to investigate the cognitive foundations of early human symbolic behavior. The research environment he directs brings together archaeologists, anthropologists, neuroscientists, and material scientists to address fundamental questions about human cognitive evolution.
