Andrea Picin

Post-Doctoral Researcher
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Department of Human Evolution
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
Germany
phone: 0049 (0) 341 3550 375
e-mail: andrea_picin@[>>> Please remove the text! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Research Interests
Andrea Picin is a Paleolithic archaeologist specialized in lithic technology. His research focuses on the reconstruction of the adaptation of prehistoric hunter-gatherers to the climatic fluctuations of the Late Pleistocene and on the influence of the ecological settings in the development of different technical and subsistence behaviors. His research interest on Neanderthals and the processes that caused their extinction began during his studies at Universitat Rovira I Virgili (Tarragona, Spain), where he achieved a Ph.D. in Quaternary Science and Prehistory. Since 2009, he has been involved in several fieldworks and projects in Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Iran, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and Mongolia broadening his investigation on Middle Paleolithic with researches on the dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa to Eurasia.
In his current position as a postdoctoral researcher at the MPI-EVA, Andrea is investigating the transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Since 2015, he is co-director with Dr. Manuel Vaquero of the excavation of Abric de la Consagració (Capellades, Spain), and he is collaborating on projects in several Catalan archaeological sites (Abric Romaní, Teixoneres Cave, Toll Cave, Llenes Cave, Las Fuentes de San Cristóbal).
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Information
Citizenship: Italian
ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrea_Picin2
Education
10/2010-12/03/2014 | Ph.D. in Quaternary Science and Prehistory, cum laude Universitat Rovira I Virgili (Tarragona, Spain) Title: The technological change in the western Mediterranean during the late Middle Paleolithic Advisor: Dr. Manuel Vaquero |
2007-2009 | M.A. in Quaternary Science and Prehistory Universitat Rovira I Virgili (Tarragona, Spain) Title: New typological approach to notching tools systematic: the examples of Abric Romaní (Spain) and Grotta Maggiore di San Bernardino (Italy) Advisor: Dr. Manuel Vaquero and Dr. Marco Peresani |
2002-2005 | B.A. in Archaeology Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Antichità, Universitá di Padova (Padova, Italy) Title: The Bronze Age lithic typology in Trentino and Western Veneto (Italy) Advisor: Prof. Giovanni Leonardi |
Professional Employment
2019-ongoing | Postdoctoral Researcher Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany) |
2015-ongoing | Privatdozent Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena (Jena, Germany) |
2017-2018 | Postdoctoral Researcher Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (Jena, Germany) |
2014-2016 | Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellow Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena (Jena, Germany) |
Teaching Experience
09/10/17-09/02/18 | Paleolithic and Mesolithic around the Mediterranean Bereich für Ur- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena (Jena, Germany) |
04/04/-27/06/2016 | Paleolithic and Mesolithic around the Mediterranean Bereich für Ur- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena (Jena, Germany) |
06/04/-29/06/2015 | Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Bereich für Ur- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena (Jena, Germany) |
Professional Membership
- European Society for the study of Human Evolution (ESHE)
- Paleoanthropology Society
- Hugo Obermaier Society
Professional Service
Reviewer for the following journals
- Journal of Archaeological Science
- Journal of Human Evolution
- PLoS ONE
- Archaeometry
- Journal of Archaeological Method and Theoy
- Quaternary International
- Scientific Reports
- Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
- Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology
Grants and Fellowships
2018-2021 | Generalitat de Catalunya, Co-Investigator for Consagració rock-shelter Cinglera del Capelló 2018-2021 - CLT009/18/00054 |
2016-2017 | Wenner-Gren Post-PhD Grant, ($20,000). Co-Investigator in cooperation with Dr. Manuel Vaquero. Topic: Upper Paleolithic Cultural and Environmental Changes in North-eastern Iberia: Archeological Excavations at the Consagració Rock-Shelter |
2014-2016 | Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (€75,600). Topic: Neanderthals Technological Adaptation during the late Middle and Upper Pleistocene in Eastern Germany |
Invited Lectures
13-17/04/2018 | Lithic technology and the evolution of Human culture Workshop for Early Career Researchers from developing countries Max Plank Institute for the Science of Human History (Jena, Germany) |
07-10/09/2016 | Neanderthal Technological behaviours in Eastern Germany during the late Middle and Late Pleistocene Forum for Early Career Researchers, Anneliese Maier Research Award 2016 (Berlin, Germany) |
16/06/2016 | Borders and barriers: an overview from Palaeolithic Archaeology Max-Planck-Institut für Ethnologische Forschung (Halle, Germany) |
26/05/2015 | Stone tools and material culture Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena (Jena, Germany) |
Organization of session in International Congresses
4-9/06/2018 | XVIII world UISPP Congress (Paris, France) Organizer with Prof. Ariane Burke and Dr. Telmo Pereira of the session “From North to South; From East to West: regional variability and economic patterns in the Iberian Middle Paleolithic” |
4-9/06/2018 | XVIII world UISPP Congress (Paris, France) Organizer with Dr. Miriam Andrés, Dr. Ruth Blasco and Dr. Jordi Rosell of the session “Short-term occupations and mobility strategies” |
02/04/2017 | 82nd SAA Annual Meeting (Vancouver, Canada) Organizer with Prof. Erella Hovers of the Symposium “Short-term occupations in Paleolithic Archaeology” |
Publications
2021
Picin, A. (2021). At the onset of the Micoquian in Central Europe: Raw material constraints and technological versatility at Neumark-Nord 2/0 (Germany). In R. Dobrescu, A. Boroneanţ, & A. Doboş ( |
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Picin, A., Benazzi, S., Blasco, R., Hajdinjak, M., Helgen, K. M., Hublin, J.-J., Rosell, J., Skoglund, P., Stringer, C., & Talamo, S. (2021). Comment on “A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago”. Science, 374(6570): eabi8330. |
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Talamo, S., Nowaczewska, W., Picin, A., Vazzana, A., Binkowski, M., Bosch, M., Cercatillo, S., Diakowski, M., Fewlass, H., Marciszak, A., Paleček, D., Richards, M. P., Ryder, C. M., Sinet-Mathiot, V., Smith, G. M., Socha, P., Sponheimer, M., Stefaniak, K., Welker, F., Winter, H., Wiśniewski, A., Żarski, M., Benazzi, S., Nadachowski, A., & Hublin, J.-J. (2021). A 41,500 year-old decorated ivory pendant from Stajnia Cave (Poland). Scientific Reports, 11(1): 22078. |
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Vanwezer, N., Breitenbach, S. F., Gázquez, F., Louys, J., Kononov, A., Sokol'nikov, D., Avirmed, E., Burguet-Coca, A., Picin, A., Cueva-Temprana, A., Sánchez-Martínez, J., Taylor, W. T. T., Boivin, N., Bayarsaikhan, J., & Petraglia, M. D. (2021). Archaeological and environmental cave records in the Gobi-Altai Mountains, Mongolia. Quaternary International, 586, 66-89. |
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Zilio, L., Hammond, H., Karampaglidis, T., Sanchez-Romero, L., Blasco, R., Rivals, F., Rufa, A., Picin, A., Chacon, M. G., Demuro, M., Arnold, L. J., & Rosell, J. (2021). Examining Neanderthal and carnivore occupations of Teixoneres Cave (Moia, Barcelona, Spain) using archaeostratigraphic and intra-site spatial analysis. Scientific Reports, 11: 4339. |
2020
Micó, C., Arilla, M., Rosell, J., Villalba, M., Santos, E., Rivals, F., Picin, A., Talamo, S., & Blasco, R. (2020). Among goats and bears: A taphonomic study of the faunal accumulation from Tritons Cave (Lleida, Spain). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 30: 102194. |
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Picin, A. (2020). Short-term occupations in Paleolithic archaeology: Definition and interpretation (J. Cascalheira, |
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Picin, A. (2020). Short-term occupations during the Early Middle Paleolithic in Eastern Germany. In J. Cascalheira, & A. Picin ( |
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Picin, A., & Cascalheira, J. (2020). Introduction to short-term occupations in Paleolithic Archaeology. In J. Cascalheira, & A. Picin ( |
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Picin, A., Andrés, M., Blasco, R., & Rosell, J. (2020). Introduction to the special issue “Short-term occupations and prehistoric human mobility”. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 31: 102298. |
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Picin, A., Blasco, R., Rivals, F., Chacón, M., Gómez de Soler, B., Talamo, S., & Rosell, J. (2020). Short-term Neanderthal occupations and carnivores in the North-East of Iberian Peninsula. In J. Cascalheira, & A. Picin ( |
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Picin, A., Chacón, M. G., de Soler, B. G., Blasco, R., Rivals, F., & Rosell, J. (2020). Neanderthal mobile toolkit in short-term occupations at Teixoneres Cave (Moia, Spain). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 29: 102165. |
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Picin, A., Hajdinjak, M., Nowaczewska, W., Benazzi, S., Urbanowski, M., Marciszak, A., Fewlass, H., Socha, P., Stefaniak, K., Żarski, M., Wiśniewski, A., Hublin, J.-J., Nadachowski, A., & Talamo, S. (2020). New perspectives on Neanderthal dispersal and turnover from Stajnia Cave (Poland). Scientific Reports, 10: 14778. |
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Taylor, W. T. T., Clark, J., Bayarsaikhan, J., Tuvshinjargal, T., Jobe, J. T., Fitzhugh, W., Kortum, R., III, R. N. S., Shnaider, S., Seersholm, F. V., Hart, I., Case, N., Wilkin, S., Hendy, J., Thuering, U., Miller, B., Miller, A. R. V., Picin, A., Vanwezer, N., Irmer, F., Brown, S., Abdykanova, A., Pham, V., Bunce, M., Douka, K., Jones, E. L., & Boivin, N. (2020). Early pastoral economies and herding transitions in Eastern Eurasia. Scientific Reports, 10(1): 1001. |
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Wedage, O., Roberts, P., Faulkner, P., Crowther, A., Douka, K., Picin, A., Blinkhorn, J., Deraniyagala, S., Boivin, N., Petraglia, M., & Amano, N. (2020). Late Pleistocene to early-Holocene rainforest foraging in Sri Lanka: Multidisciplinary analysis at Kitulgala Beli-lena. Quaternary Science Reviews, 231: 106200. |
2019
Vaquero, M., Romagnoli, F., Bargalló, A., Chacón, M. G., Gómez de Soler, B., Picin, A., & Carbonell, E. (2019). Lithic refitting and intrasite artifact transport: a view from the Middle Paleolithic. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 11(9), 4491-4513. |
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Wedage, O., Amano, N., Langley, M. C., Douka, K., Blinkhorn, J., Crowther, A., Deraniyagala, S., Kourampas, N., Simpson, I., Perera, N., Picin, A., Boivin, N., Petraglia, M., & Roberts, P. (2019). Specialized rainforest hunting by Homo sapiens ~45,000 years ago. Nature Communications, 10: 739. |
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Wedage, O., Picin, A., Blinkhorn, J., Douka, K., Deraniyagala, S., Kourampas, N., Perera, N., Simpson, I., Boivin, N., Petraglia, M., & Roberts, P. (2019). Microliths in the South Asian rainforest ~45-4 ka: New insights from Fa-Hien Lena Cave, Sri Lanka. PLOS ONE, 14(10), 1-36. |
2018
Picin, A. Technological adaptation and the emergence of Levallois in Central Europe: new insight from Markkleeberg and Zwochau open-air sites (Germany). Journal of Quaternary Science, 33 (3), 300-312. doi: 10.1002/jqs.2978
2017
Picin, A. Short-term occupation at the lakeshore: technological reassessment of the open–air site Königsaue (Germany). Quartär, 7-32. doi: 10.7485/QU63_1
Bazgir, B., Ollé, A., Tumung, L., Higham, T., Douka, K., Becerra-Valdivia, L., van der Made, J., Picin, A., Saladié, P., Lopez Garcia, J. M., Blain, H.-A., Allue, E., Fernández-García, M., Rey-Rodríguez, I., Arceredillo, D., Bahrololoumi, F., Azimi, M., Otte, M., Carbonell, E. Understanding the emergence of modern humans and the disappearance of Neanderthals: Insights from Kaldar Cave (Khorramabad Valley; Western Iran). Scientific Reports, 7, 43460. doi: 10.1038/srep43460
Rosell, J., Blasco, R., Rivals, F., Chacón, M. G., Arilla, M., Camarós, E., Rufà, A., Sánchez-Hernández, C., Picin, A., Andrés, M., Blain, H.-A., López-García, J. M., Iriarte, E., Cebrià, A. A resilient landscape at Teixoneres Cave (MIS 3, Moià, Barcelona, Spain): the Neanderthals as disrupting agent. Quaternary International, 435 Part A, 195-210. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.11.077
2016
Picin, A. Short-term occupation at the lakeshore: technological reassessment of Königsaue open–air site. Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution, 5, 187.
Picin, A., Vaquero, M. Flake productivity in Levallois recurrent centripetal and bifacial discoid technologies: new insights from experimental and archaeological lithic series. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 8, 70-81. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.05.062
Picin, A., Carbonell, E. Neanderthal mobility and technological change in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula: the patterns of chert exploitation at the Abric Romaní rock-shelter. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 15, 581-594. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2015.09.012
Talamo, S., Blasco, R., Rivals, F., Picin, A.
, Chacón, M. G., Iriarte, E., López-García, J. M., Blain, H.-A., Arilla, M., Rufà, M., Sánchez-Hernández, C., Andrés, M., Camarós, E., Ballesteros, A., Cebrià, A., Rosell, J., Hublin, J.-J. The radiocarbon approach to Neanderthals in a carnivore dens site. A well-defined chronology for Teixoneres cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain). Radiocarbon, 58 (2), 247-265. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2015.19
2015
Fiorenza, L., Benazzi, S., Henry, A., Salazar-Garcia, D. C., Blasco, R., Picin, A., Wroe, S., Kullmer, O. To meat or not to meat? New perspectives on Neanderthal ecology. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, 156, 43-71. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22659
Picin, A. Neanderthal mobility and technological change in the northeastern of the Iberian Peninsula: the patterns of chert exploitation at the Abric Romaní rock-shelter. Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution 4, pp.176.
2014
Picin, A., Vaquero, M., Weniger, G.-C., Carbonell, E. Flake morphologies and patterns of core configuration at the Abric Romaní rock-shelter: a Geometric Morphometric approach. Quaternary International, 350, 84-93. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2014.05.004
Talamo, S., Peresani, M., Romandini, M., Duches, R., Jéquier, C., Nannini, N., Pastoors, A., Picin, A., Vaquero, M., Weniger, G.-C., Hublin, J.-J. Detecting human presence at the border of the northeastern Italian Pre-Alps. 14C dating at Rio Secco Cave as expression of the first Gravettian and the late Mousterian in the northern Adriatic region. PLoS ONE, e95376. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0095376
Peresani, M., Romandini, M., Duches, R., Jéquier, C., Pastoors, A., Picin, A., Schmidt, I., Vaquero, M., Weniger, G.-C. New evidence for the Mousterian and Gravettian at Rio Secco Cave, Italy. Journal of Field Archaeology, 39 (4), 401-416. doi: 10.1179/0093469014Z.00000000098
Bazgir, B., Otte, M., Tumung, L., Ollé, A., G. Deo, S., Joglekar, P., López-García, J. M., Picin, A., Davoudi, D., van der Made, J. Test excavations and initial results at the Middle and Upper Paleolithic sites of Gilvaran, Kaldar, Ghamari Caves and Gar Arjene Rockshelter, Khorramabad Valley, Western Iran. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 13, 511-525. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2014.01.005
Peresani, M., Basile, D., Centi, L., Delpiano, D., Duches, R., Jéquier, C., Nannini, N., Obradović, M., Picin, A., Romandini, M. Grotta di Fumane. Risultati della campagna di scavo e ricerche 2012. NAVe–Notizie di Archeologia del Veneto, 1/2012 (1), 88-91.
2013
Picin, A., Peresani, M., Falguères, C., Gruppioni, G., Bahain, J.-J. San Bernardino Cave (Italy) and the appearance of Levallois technology in Europe: results of a radiometric and technological reassessment. PLoS ONE 8, e76182. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076182
Chacón, M.G., Bargalló, A., Gómez de Soler, B., Picin, A., Vaquero, M., Carbonell, E. Continuity or discontinuity of Neanderthal technological behaviours during MIS 3: level M and level O of the Abric Romaní Site (Capellades, Spain), in: Pastoors, A., Auffermanneds, B. (Eds.), Pleistocene Foragers on the Iberian Peninsula: Their culture and environment. Festschrift in Honour of Gerd-Christian Weniger for his Sixtieth Birthday. Wissenschaftliche Schriften des Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann, pp. 55-84.
2012
Picin, A. Technological change and hunting behavior during the Middle Paleolithic, in: Cascalheira, J., Gonçalves, C. (Eds.), Actas das IV Jornadas de Jovens em Investigação Arqueológica - JIA 2011. Tipografia Tavirense, Lda, Faro, pp. 185-191.
Peresani, M., Pastoors, A., Vaquero, M., Duches, R., Jèquier, C., Nannini, N., Picin, A., Romandini, M., Schmidt, I., Weniger, G.-C. The Rio Secco Cave in the North Adriatic Region, Italy. A new context for investigating the Neanderthal demise and the settlement of Anatomically Modern Humans. Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution 1, pp. 138.
Peresani, M., Duches, R., Picin, A., Romandini, M. Grotta del Clusantin, Grotte Verdi e Grotta del Rio Secco, in: Anastasia, D., Dalla Bona, P. (Eds), Archeologia e Storia nella Pedemontana fra Meduna e Tagliamento. Gruppo Archeologico Archeo 2000, Lestans, pp.1-7.
Peresani, M., Pastoors, A., Vaquero, M., Romandini, M., Duches, R., Jéquier, C., Nannini, N., Picin, A., Schmidt, I., Weniger, G.-C. The Rio Secco Cave and the North Adriatic region, a key context for investigating the Neanderthal demise, Antiquity 86 (332).
Peresani, M., Romandini, M., Duches, R., Jéquier, C., Nannini, N., Picin, A. Il Musteriano finale di Grotta del Rio Secco nel contesto nord-adriatico. Risultati delle nuove ricerche. Bollettino della Società Naturalisti "Silvia Zenari" 36, 9-28.
2011
Picin, A., Peresani, M., Vaquero, M. Application of a new typological approach to classifying denticulate and notched tools: the study of two Mousterian lithic assemblages. Journal of Archaeological Science 38, 711-722. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2010.10.025
2010
Peresani, M., Cescutti, G., Romandini, M., Duches, R., Picin, A. Primo rapporto sulla campagna di scavi 2010 nella Grotta del Rio Secco, Altopiano di Pradis. Bollettino della Società Naturalisti "Silvia Zenari" 34, 61-76.