CNUTS Dries
1er logisticien de recherche
Faculté de Philosophie et lettres
Département des sciences historiques
TraceoLab
Art, Archéologie et Patrimoine (AAP)
- ULiège address
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Bât. A4 TraceoLab
quai Roosevelt 1B
4000 Liège
Belgique
- ULiège phone number
- +32 4 3665304
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- Conseil sectoriel à la recherche et à la valorisation
- Sciences humaines
Biography
Dries Cnuts is 1st Research Logistician within TraceoLab, Department of Historical Sciences at the University of Liège. He holds a PhD in prehistoric archaeology, and his research focuses on identifying traces invisible to the naked eye left by human activities on stone tools ¿ organic and inorganic residues whose identification allows the reconstruction of technical gestures and technological choices made by prehistoric populations during the Upper Pleistocene and early Holocene, in Europe and Africa.
His approach combines high-resolution microscopy, including scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), with experimental archaeology, an approach aimed at reproducing prehistoric gestures and materials in the laboratory in order to better interpret traces observed in the field. A significant part of his work is devoted to the taphonomic study of these traces, that is, the critical analysis of post-depositional processes and contamination risks liable to affect their reliability, a key issue for the scientific validity of functional analysis in prehistory.
He is also involved in the development and integration of new analytical techniques for residue identification, such as FTIR microscopy and two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DHS-GC×GC-TOFMS). His research places particular emphasis on inter- and multidisciplinary collaboration, in particular on combining different types of data, use-wear traces (traceology), residues, and taphonomic and geochemical data, for a more complete and reliable reading of prehistoric technical behaviour.
