Pavel E. Tarasov

Prof. Dr. Pavel E. Tarasov is an Adjunct Professor (Außerplanmäßiger Professor) at Freie Universität Berlin’s Institute of Geological Sciences, specializing in Paleontology and Quaternary Sciences. His research focuses on lake sediments as climatic archives, pollen-based reconstructions of vegetation and climate, and Holocene human-environment interactions. He holds a PhD from Moscow State University (1992) and a Habilitation (2007) from FU Berlin. Tarasov has led major projects like the Lake El’gygytgyn drilling in Arctic Russia and the Baikal-Hokkaido Archaeology Project, integrating environmental and archaeological data. Key achievements include the 2012 Heisenberg Fellowship and over 220 peer-reviewed publications with an h-index of 59.

Education:

• MV Lomonosov Moscow State University (1980–1985), Diploma in Geography (1985)
• PhD (Doctor of Geographical Sciences), Moscow State University (1992)
• Habilitation in Quaternary Sciences, FU Berlin (2007)

Research Interests: Lake sediment analysis, pollen-based climate reconstructions, Holocene environmental variability, and interdisciplinary studies linking environmental changes to human dynamics across Eurasia. Major foci include the Arctic (Lake El’gygytgyn), East Asia (Lake Biwa, Lake Suigetsu), and Hokkaido’s prehistoric environments.

Selected Awards:

• Heisenberg Stipend (DFG, 2011–2016)
• Visiting Scholar Award (University of Alberta, 2012)
• Japan Society for Promotion of Science Fellowship (2000–2001)

Grants & Projects: Leads initiatives like the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation’s “HEINIA” project and contributes to the Asian Lake Drilling Program. Collaborates internationally on projects such as the Bridging Eurasia Research Initiative and Silk Road Fashion studies. Active in radiocarbon dating innovations, including fossil pollen purification techniques.

Labs & Teams: Heads the Palaeobotany and Palaeoclimatology Working Group at FU Berlin. Collaborates with institutions like the Alfred Wegener Institute, German Archaeological Institute, and University of Alberta. Supervises interdisciplinary studies combining archaeology, geochemistry, and environmental proxies.