Anna Rufà Bonache
Researcher, ICArEHB
Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB)
FCHS, University of Algarve
Campus de Gambelas
8005-139 Faro
Portugal
(+351) 289 800 900
arbonache@ualg.pt
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1278-4220
CIÊNCIA ID: 181D-DDA5-2D9E
Associated Researcher
PACEA-UMR 5199 Univ. de Bordeaux/CNRS/MCC
Université de Bordeaux, Bâtiment B2
Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire CS 50023
33615 PESSAC Cedex
F-33600 Pessac, France
Research Interests
Anna’s research focuses on small prey taphonomy, with special attention on leporids and birds, some of the most frequent taxa in southwestern Europe (her main area of study). Her research interest lies in determining the relationship between humans and small prey during the Middle and the Upper Palaeolithic period through the analysis of bone remains. However, she also considers it crucial to figure out other non-human contributions in archaeological contexts to infer the types of occupation of the sites, as well as their functionality. In this line, she has developed neo-taphonomic studies trying to define the characteristics of the accumulations produced by different human and non-human predators with greater precision.
Likewise, from a more global perspective, one of her goals is to see the evolution of small prey use in extensive areas. Therefore her research aims to see the evolution of Pleistocene hunter-gatherers within the same regions (for example, the Iberian Peninsula) and over different periods.
Short Bio
After graduating in History (2011) and completing a Master’s degree in Quaternary Archaeology and Human Evolution (2013) at the Rovira i Virgili University (URV), she received a pre-doctoral scholarship from the Spanish MECD to develop her doctoral thesis at IPHES-URV. There she started exploring the role of small prey among human populations during the Palaeolithic period. During this period, she made a research stay at the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris). She completed her PhD in September 2017.
Before joining the ICArEHB, she had a post-doctoral IdEx contract (2018-2020) at PACEA – UMR 5199 laboratory (Bordeaux, France), where she developed different research lines on small prey taphonomy – with a special focus on birds – and the agents related to their accumulation.
Anna also co-directs the archaeological excavations at the Toll and Teixoneres Caves sites. She is also involved in the study of faunal remains at different sites in south-western Europe and participates in different international projects in Spain and France since several years ago.