Marie Besse

Marie Besse is a Full Professor and head of the Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Geneva, affiliated with the Department F.-A. Forel des sciences de l’environnement et de l’eau within the Faculty of Sciences. She holds a leadership role in academic governance as President of the Association des Professeur.e.s de l'Université de Genève starting in 2025 and serves on various scientific committees.

Her research spans prehistoric archaeology and anthropology, with a focus on Neolithic and Bronze Age Europe. Key interests include the Bell Beaker culture, settlement patterns, social organization, technological transfer, and palaeo-environmental interactions. She employs a multidisciplinary approach integrating archaeology, geology, biology, chemistry, and social anthropology.

Marie Besse leads the SNSF-funded Advanced Grant project Specialised craftspeople on the move, examining mobility and cultural dynamics in 3rd millennium BCE Europe. Her fieldwork includes significant excavations at sites such as Petit-Chasseur (Sion), Pré-au-Stand (Geneva), and Eremita (Italy), contributing to heritage development and public engagement.

She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Taurus Foundation Science 2021 Award and the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes académiques. Funding for her work comes from the Swiss National Science Foundation, COST, and the British Council Cultural Protection Fund.

• Certificate of Appreciation from Pristina, Kosovo (2024)
• Taurus Foundation ‘Science 2021’ Award (2021)
• Medal from the town of Menjez, Lebanon (2019)
• Prix Alex–F. Müller de physiopathologie clinique (2017)
• Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes académiques (2013)
• SNSF selection for academia-net.org (2012)

Marie Besse supervises Master’s theses and doctoral research in prehistoric archaeology, though specific student names are not listed. Her administrative roles include representation on the Earth and Environmental Sciences Section Council and leadership in faculty governance. She is actively engaged in public outreach, media appearances, and heritage projects such as the creation of a tourist trail and Heritage Centre in Lebanon.

The laboratory she directs conducts extensive fieldwork across Switzerland, Italy, and Lebanon, focusing on megalithic structures, pile dwellings, and Bronze Age dolmens. These projects combine excavation, scientific analysis, and community engagement to preserve and interpret prehistoric heritage.