Yannick Devos

Yannick Devos is a postdoctoral researcher at the Archaeology, Environmental changes & Geo-Chemistry department of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), within the School of History, Archeology, Arts, Philosophy and Ethics. His work focuses on urban geoarchaeology, soil micromorphology, and phytolith analysis, with particular emphasis on medieval and historical urban environments in Belgium and beyond.

• Education: Ph.D. in Archaeology (university details not explicitly stated in text).
• Affiliations: Active in multiple interdisciplinary projects, including the Revealing the Senne initiative and studies on ancient agricultural terraces in the Mediterranean.

Research Interests:

• Urban environmental archaeology, particularly 'Dark Earth' formations and anthropogenic soils.
• Phytolith analysis as a tool for reconstructing past environments and fire events.
• Medieval land use, including agricultural practices and waste management in urban contexts.
• Soil micromorphology applied to historical trade hubs and urban stratigraphy.

Recent Article Trends: Recent work emphasizes interdisciplinary methods, such as integrating 3D modeling, autofluorescent phytolith analysis, and biomarker studies to explore urbanization processes, historical environmental changes, and ancient human-environment interactions.

Awards:

• Best poster award (2025) for research on Mediterranean agricultural terraces through soil analysis.

Grants & Projects:

• FWOTM1260 (2024-2028): Investigating ancient agricultural terraces in the Eastern Mediterranean.
• BRGDOC11 (2023-2027): Uncovering the historical Senne River's role in Brussels' urban landscape.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Inside-Out project (x-ray analysis) and the Archaeology of Coastal Communities initiative, focusing on resilience and environmental adaptation.