Katalin Tolnai

Dr. Katalin Tolnai serves as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Bonn's Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology within the Prehistoric and Early History Archaeology department, working on the FOR 5438 'Urban impacts on the Mongolian Plateau' project since August 2023. Previously, she was a Research Assistant at the University of Vienna (2011-2014) through the Initiative College for Archaeological Prospection.

Her academic credentials include:

• 2022: Dr. Phil. in Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology, University of Vienna (Austria), VIAS - Initiative College for Archaeological Prospection
• 2010: Master of Arts in Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest (Hungary)
• 2008: Dual Master of Arts in Archaeology (Migration Period specialization) and Mongolian Philology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (Hungary)
• 2008: BSc in Land Survey Engineering (Geoinformatics specialization), University of West Hungary, Székesfehérvár

Tolnai specializes in landscape archaeology with methodological expertise in GIS applications, remote sensing, and geophysical prospection. Her regional focus spans medieval Hungary (including Viking Age contexts), Khitan-period Mongolia, and fieldwork sites in Cambodia and India. She investigates dynamic landscape transformations around central places and nomadic settlements through integrated technological approaches.

Her publication record (2013-2021) reveals concentrated research on Mongolian landscape archaeology through the Khi-Land project, analyzing nomadic urbanism via GIS modeling and remote sensing. Concurrently, she examines medieval Hungarian sites using published survey data, demonstrating methodological consistency across diverse geographical contexts while advancing archaeological prospection techniques.

As lead archaeologist for the Khi-Land project (2016-present), funded by the Hungarian and Mongolian Academies of Sciences, she has directed fieldwork across East Mongolia. Earlier projects include cultural heritage protection in Ladakh, India (2011) and archaeological surveys at Cambodia's Koh Ker site (2009-2010).

Tolnai collaborates within international research teams including FOR 5438 at Bonn University and the Khi-Land consortium, working closely with Hungarian and Mongolian academic institutions to investigate urban-environmental entanglements on the Mongolian Plateau.