Julia Meister

Dr. Julia Meister is a Junior Professor for Geoarchaeology and Quaternary Research at the University of Würzburg, affiliated with the Institute of Geography and Geology. She is currently on leave (10/2024–09/2025) while holding an Acting Chair at the University of Bamberg. Her research integrates human-environment relations, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and geomorphological analysis to study ancient water management systems, agricultural strategies, and cultural landscapes across the Mediterranean, Nile Delta, Peruvian Andes, and Southern Asia.

• Research Themes:
  • Geoarchaeology of sacred landscapes
  • Phytolith-based environmental proxies
  • Terrace agriculture in drylands
  • Climate-human interactions in antiquity
  • Multi-hazard risk assessment

Publication Trends (15 most recent): Focus on integrating geoarchaeological methods (e.g., ERT, drone LiDAR, phytolith analysis) with human-environment systems across Egypt, the Andes, and the Mediterranean. Key subfields include ancient water management, pedo-geomorphological land use, cultural soil erosion, and remote sensing applications in archaeological contexts.

• Scientific Awards:
  • 2023 Wissenschaftspreis für Physische Geographie (Prof. Dr. Frithjof Voss-Stiftung)
  • 2022 Postdoc-Preis der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geomorphologie (DGGM)
  • 2017 Dissertationspreis (Freie Universität Berlin)
  • 2014 Young Scientist Award (3rd International Landscape Archaeology Conference, Rome)

Grants & Collaborations: Leads projects funded by the German Research Foundation (ME 5450/4-3), Free State of Bavaria (ERDF), and Humboldt Foundation. Collaborates with institutions including the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, University of Kashmir, and University of Bonn.

Her Phytolith Laboratory at Würzburg advances microfossil analysis for reconstructing ancient ecosystems, and she co-organizes international workshops like Geoarchaeology of the Nile Delta (2019).