Laura Dietrich

Laura Dietrich is an Associate Professor at Freie Universität Berlin and Visiting Professor at the Universities of Freiburg (Germany) and Alba Iulia (Romania). She holds a postdoctoral position (PostDoc) at the Austrian Archaeological Institute (ÖAI, Department of Prehistory and WANA Archaeology) and serves as deputy leader of the research group „Prehistoric Phenomena.“ Her work focuses on prehistoric archaeology, particularly the Neolithic period and its transition from hunter-gatherer societies.

Education & Academic Milestones:

• Dr. (2010) and Habilitation (2022) in Prehistoric Archaeology from Freie Universität Berlin
• Venia legendi (2022) in Prehistoric Archaeology

Research Interests:

Her research integrates functional analyses of stone and bone tools, experimental archaeology, and archaeometry. Key areas include use-wear/residue analyses, archaeology of food, and documentation techniques like photogrammetry. She specializes in the Epipaleolithic, Neolithic, and Copper Age periods, with projects in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and Germany.

Grants & Projects:

• Principal Investigator of the Göbekli Tepe Plant Food Processing Tools Project (2016–2022)
• Excavation leader at the Bronze Age site of Rotbav (Romania, 2004–2013)
• Lead roles in projects on Neolithic axes, grinding stones, and the Neolithization of Central Europe

Current Affiliations:

• Research Group „Prehistoric Phenomena“ at the Austrian Archaeological Institute (since 2022)
• Collaborations with German Archaeological Institute (DAI) departments in Berlin and Frankfurt