Veerle Rots elected member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts
Veerle Rots, director of the Traceolab and research director of the F.R.S.-FNRS at the University of Liège, has just been appointed a new member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB).
V
eerle Rots, FNRS research director at ULiège, has been elected a member of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten (KVAB). A specialist in prehistoric archaeology and ancient technologies, Veerle Rots joins the Human Sciences Class, alongside Els Dumortier, Véronique Hoste and Stefaan Walgrave.
Her current research is a continuation of her work on the evolution of technologies used by prehistoric populations. Among her current projects, she is conducting a comparative study of hunting weapons between Western Europe and South Africa as part of the Welchange project, in order to better understand the evolution of hunting techniques. In addition, she is analysing the role of these technologies in the dispersal of the first modern humans through a project funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC-Discovery Grant) and is interested in the hunting weapons used in Europe at that time.
Veerle Rots is also working on the evolution of prehistoric adhesives, seeking to better understand their composition and their use by Palaeolithic populations. Her expertise also extends to the study of how prehistoric sites function, particularly those associated with Neanderthals. At the same time, she carries out comparative functional studies on several major archaeological sites in South Africa, such as Sibhudu Cave, Diepkloof Rock Shelter, Klasies River Caves, Rose Cottage Cave and Bushman Rock Shelter. In Europe, her work has deepened our knowledge of plant life during the Palaeolithic period. Finally, she is involved in the methodological development of functional analysis, in particular through the integration of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in the analysis of archaeological residues.
Veerle Rots' election to the KVAB is in recognition of her essential contribution to the understanding of early human technologies and the evolution of research methods in prehistoric archaeology. Congratulations to her and to all the new members on this prestigious distinction!
About the KVAB
Founded in 1772, this prestigious institution aims to promote the sciences and arts in Flanders and Belgium. It supports research and the dissemination of knowledge through scientific and cultural events, while promoting cooperation between Flemish and international universities. The KVAB is composed of four classes: natural sciences, human sciences, arts and technical sciences. The members, elected for life, actively contribute to the interdisciplinary work of the Academy.
