Deborah Priß – ESR13

After successfully completing an apprenticeship in retail, I began my undergraduate studies at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. I focused on Prehistory and Ancient History as well as Archaeometry, with emphasis on Geoarchaeology, Geography, Earth Science and Archaeometallurgy. This led to an undergraduate thesis with a geoarchaeological topic, the development of the Great Maeander, Turkey, and what impact its progradation had on the ancient cities on its shores, with a focus on Miletus. As my enthusiasm for the interdisciplinary research that geoarchaeology offers grew during my undergraduate studies, I decided to do my master’s degree in Geoarchaeology at the University Heidelberg, Germany. There, I was able to expand my knowledge and skills, especially in Geography and Earth Science. In my Master’s thesis, I investigated a dyke previously interpreted as being medieval for the project “Land unter?”. The aim was to determine its structure and date using historical sources and scientific methods.

I am particularly interested in the connection between Archaeology and Earth Sciences, especially concerning the interactions between societies and their environments. I think an interdisciplinary approach is essential for archaeological research because we need to understand the interplay of all factors to understand the ancient cultures. The i-Conn network offers an exchange with international researchers from different fields with interdisciplinary subjects to find new approaches and perspectives. That is how science should be and how I want to do research.