Team

Research interests

My main interests lie in “negative heritage” related to the National Socialist period and psychiatric institutions, as well as in practice theory and feminist archaeology, particularly gender biases in knowledge production. In addition, I work on South-West Asia, with a focus on the development of complex societies, pottery studies, and ancient foodways/food politics/commensality.

Organisation of Workshops and Events

Reviewer for:

• Anatolica
• Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy
• Origini
• Paléorient
• PNAS
• Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
• Herausgegebene Publikationen
• ICOMOS - International Council on Monuments and Sites (report for the inscription of cultural properties in the UNESCO World Heritage List)

Member of the advisory board of the journal Forum Kritische Archäologie

Edited books and journal issues

Herausgeber*innenkollektiv[1] (eds.) 2020, Pearls, Politics and Pistachios. Essays in Anthropology and Memories on the Occasion of Susan Pollock’s 65th Birthday, ex oriente, Berlin [https://www.exoriente.org/docs/00110.pdf].

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Jauß Carolin, Johnson J. Cale (eds.) 2015, Food and Urbanization. Material and Textual Perspectives on Alimentary Practice in Early Mesopotamia, Origini 37: 8–88. (Peer-reviewed issue with contributions by Klaus Wagensonner, Carolin Jauß, Susan Pollock, Eva Rosenstock, Rémi Berthon, J. Cale Johnson, Maria Bianca D’Anna, Jacob Dahl, and Hagan Brunke)

[1] Aydin Abar, Maria Bianca D’Anna, Georg Cyrus, Vera Egbers, Barbara Huber, Christine Kainert, Johannes Köhler, Birgül Öğüt, Nolwen Rol, Giulia Russo, Julia Schönicke, Francelin Tourtet.

Peer reviewed publications

Rageot Maxime, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Huseynov Muzaffar, Jalilov Bakhtiyar, Decaix Alexia, Berthon Rémi, Zeng Qi, Perez Jeremy, Guliyev Farhad, Drieu Léa, Mazuy Arnaud, Regert Martine, Palumbi Giulio2026. Biomolecular analyses reveal grape-based beverages, dairy processing, and pottery function in Kura-Araxes culinary practices, PNAS 123/18. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.252960012

Balossi Restelli Francesca, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Fragnoli Pamela, Manuelli Federico 2025, The Mass Production of Food Serving Bowls from the 4th to the 1st Millennium BCE at Arslantepe (Türkiye), Paléorient 51: 7–26. https://journals.openedition.org/paleorient/4837

Cardarelli Lorenzo, Fragnoli Pamela, D’Anna Maria Bianca 2025, Quantifying Morphological Standardization through Binary Matrices with an Application to the Ceramic Assemblage of an Early Complex Society, Paléorient 51: 65–88. https://journals.openedition.org/paleorient/5687?lang=en

Pollock Susan, Bernbeck Reinhard, Rol Nolwen, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Hama Gharib Hussein, Abai Clara, Eger Jana, Schönberg J. Lennard, Tolay Malinda, Wolff-Heger Lisa 2025, GIRD-I BEGUM – REPORT ON THE 2022 EXCAVATIONS, Iraq 2025: 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1017/irq.2024.15.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Sanders Akiva, Fragnoli Pamela 2022, The Late Chalcolithic Pottery of the Malatya and Altınova Regions: Distinct but Overlapping Communities of Practice, Istanbuler Mitteilungen 72: 27–71. DOI: 10.34780/efd4-6bf7.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Niuwenhuyse Olivier, Mühl Simone 2022, Un air de famille. Preliminary observations on the Late Chalcolithic horizon of the Shahrizor Plain (Iraqi Kurdistan), in Baldi J.S., Iamoni M., Peyronel L., Sconzo P. (eds.), Mesopotamian Urban Dawn. Proceedings of the Workshop ‘The Late Chalcolithic of Upper Mesopotamia and the interaction with Southern Uruk communities: new data and interpretations for a better understanding of the early urban world’ held at the 11th ICAANE, 5 April 2018, Munich, Subartu, Brepols, Turnhout.

Palumbi Giulio, Guliyev Farhad, Astruc Laurence, Baudouin Emmanuel, Berthon Rémi, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Decaix Alexia, Gratuze Bernard, Hamon Caroline, Poulmarc’h Modwene, Ricci Andrea, Alakbarov Valeh 2021, New data and perspectives on the early stages of the Neolithic in the Middle Kura River Valley (South Caucasus). The 2017-2019 excavations at Kiçik Tepe, Western Azerbaijan, Archaeological Research in Asia 27(2): 100308.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2021.100308.

Balossi Restelli Francesca, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Cristina Lemorini, Lucia Mori, Daniela Zampetti 2020, The Sociality of Food in Late Chalcolithic Anatolia: A View from Material Culture at the Site of Arslantepe, Origini XLIV: 7–34.

Balossi Restelli Francesca, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Piccione Paola 2018, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Cooking Practices at Arslantepe (Eastern Turkey) from 4200 to 2000 BCE, Istanbuler Mitteilungen 68: 31–58.

Ricci Andrea, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Helwing Barbara, Aliyev Tevekkül, Lawrence Daniel 2018, Human mobility and early sedentism. The Late Neolithic (mid-sixth millennium BC) landscape of south-western Azerbaijan, Antiquity 92 366: 1445–1461.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Palumbi Giulio 2017, Uruk, Pastoralism and Secondary Products: Was it a Revolution? A View from the Anatolian Highlands, in Stockhammer P.W., Maran J., Appropriating Innovations. Entangled knowledge in Eurasia, 5000-1500 BCE, Oxbow Books, Oxford: 29–39.

D’Anna Maria Bianca 2015, Food without urbanization. A material perspective on food politics at Arslantepe VI A (LC5), in D´Anna M.B., Jauss C., Johnson J.C. (eds.), Food and Urbanization. Material and Textual Perspectives on Alimentary Practice in Early Mesopotamia, Origini 37: 61–70.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Jauß Carolin 2015, Cooking at 4th millennium BCE Chogha Mish (Iran) and Arslantepe (Turkey). Investigating the social via the material, in Kerner S., Chou C., Warmind M. (eds.), Commensality: From Everyday Food to Feast, Bloomsbury Publishing, London: 65–85.

D’Anna Maria Bianca 2012, Between Inclusion and Exclusion. Feasting and Redistribution of Meals at Late Chalcolithic Arslantepe (Malatya, Turkey), in Pollock S. (ed.), Commensality, Social Relations and Ritual: Between Feasts and Daily Meals, eTopoi Journal for Ancient Studies, Special Volume 2: 97–123. (Republished as book in 2015). http://journal.topoi.org/index.php/etopoi/article/view/21/98.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Guarino Paolo 2012, Pottery production and use at Arslantepe between periods VII and VIA. Evidence for social and economic change, Origini XXXIV: 59–77.

Other publications (from 2012)

Valentina Ljubić Tobisch, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Eva Hallama, Robert Krickl 2024, Interdisziplinäre Forschung: Heritage Science und die verborgenen Geheimnisse von Museumssammlungen, neues museum 24/4: https://doi.org/10.58865/13.14/244/6.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Fragnoli Pamela 2023, A walk to the Narrenturm in Vienna. Remarks on the heritagization of psychiatric institutions, in Herausgeber*innenkollektiv (eds.), "WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ARCHAEOLOGY?" Essays on the Occasion of the 65th Birthday of Reinhard Bernbeck, Sidestone, Leiden: 295–306.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Cappa Federica, Sterflinger Katja, Hradil Klaudia, Griesser Martina, Ladstätter Sabine 2023, Heritage Science Austria: An Austrian National Hub of Infrastructures for Cultural Heritage, Restaurierungsblätter – Papers in Conservation 40.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Rol Nolwen, Öğüt Birgül, Aljader Reem 2020. “Women in a Men’s World”: Still?, in Herausgeber*innenkollektiv (eds.), Pearls, Politics and Pistachios. Essays in Anthropology and Memories on the Occasion of Susan Pollock’s 65th Birthday, ex oriente, Berlin: 557–583.

https://books.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/propylaeum/reader/download/837/837-30-93919-1-10-20210610.pdf.

D’Anna Maria Bianca 2020, Une liaison dangereuse: Mass-produced bowls and cretulae at Arslantepe during period VI A, in Balossi Restelli F., Cardarelli A., Di Nocera G.M., Manzanilla L., Mori L., Palumbi G., Pittman H. (eds.), Pathways through Arslantepe. Essays in Honour of Marcella Frangipane, Sapienza Università di Roma: 223–233.

D’Anna Maria Bianca 2019, Between the Local and the Global. An Interregional Perspective on Late Chalcolithic 5 Arslantepe (ca. 3400-3200 BCE), in Durak N., Frangipane M., Proceedings of the I. International Arslantepe Archaeological Symposium, İnönü Ünivertsitesi Matbaası, Malatya: 119–130.

D’Anna Maria Bianca 2017, The 2013 sounding at site MPS 103: preliminary report. Some new insights into the Neolithic ‘Unpainted Ceramic Horizon’ of the Mil Plain, in Helwing B., Aliyev T., Lyonnet B., Guliyev F., Hansen S., Mirtskhulava G. (eds.), The Kura Projetcs. New Research on the Later Prehistory of the Southern Caucasus, Archäologie in Iran und Turan 16, Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin: 43–49.

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Jauss Carolin, Johnson J. Cale 2015, Introduction to Food and Urbanization. Material and Textual Perspectives on Alimentary Practice in Early Mesopotamia, Origini 37: 8–14.

Helwing Barbara, Aliyev Tevekkül, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Ricci Andrea 2015, Güneybatı Azerbaycan’da Eski Kura Projesi: Mil Stepleri Kültürel Peyzajı, in Işıklı M., Can B. (eds.), International Symposium on Eastern Anatolia South Caucasus Cultures. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Eastern Anatolia and South Caucasus Cultures held, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne: 377–387.

D’Anna Maria Bianca 2012, The pottery of Kamiltepe and site MPS 5, in Lyonnet B., Guliyev F., Helwing B., Aliyev T., Hansen S., Mirtskhulava G. (eds.), Ancient Kura 2010-2011. The first two seasons of joint fieldwork in the Southern Caucasus, Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan 44: 1–190 [38–46].

Science communication

Balossi Restelli Francesca, Ceccacci Roberto, D’Anna Maria Bianca, Frangipane Marcella, Laurito Romina 2024, The winning secret to field archaeology: care and rigour next to passion and enthusiasm,

D’Anna Maria Bianca 2024, Cibo, società e “gastro-politica”: spunti dall’archeologia, Dromo Special Issue edited by Raffaele Bracalenti and Mariella De Santis “CON-VIVERE – Luoghi e forme della vita comunitaria", Roma. https://www.dromorivista.it/cibo-societa-e-gastro-politica-spunti-dallarcheologia/

D’Anna Maria Bianca, Cappa Federica, Sterflinger Katja, Hradil Klaudia, Griesser Martina, Ladstätter Sabine 2023 Heritage Science Austria: An Austrian National Hub of Infrastructures for Cultural Heritage, Restauratorenblätter - Papers in Conservation 40.

D’Anna Maria Bianca 2022, Prospettive archeologiche sulla comunità, Dromo Special Issue “DI COTTE E DI CRUDE", Roma.

Selected presentations at conferences and workshops

Invited (from 2015

18–20.11.2024      M. Rageot, A. Mazuy, M. Regert, M.B. D’Anna, G. Palumbi at the 2MI project "Migrations, Mobility and Innovations: interpreting change between the Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age in the South Caucasus and Northern Iran (ca. 6200-2400 BCE)" closing conference, MNHN, Paris

11.4.2024             M.B. D’Anna, P. Fragnoli, G. Palumbi "Technological, morpho-functional and typological observations on the Kura-Araxes and Bedeni ceramic assemblages at Qaraçinar (Azerbaijan)"

and M. Rageot, G. Palumbi, M.B. D’Anna "Consumption practices in third millennium Southern Caucasus: Organic residue analysis of pottery from Qaraçinar" at the Project KUR(A)GAN Final Conference, Nice. 9-12 April 2024

25.11.2021           “About Late Chalcolithic ceramics – New insights from the Malatya-Elazığ Region”, Evening conference of the German Archaeological Institute, Istanbul

3–4.12.2019         G. Palumbi, F. Guliyev, L. Astruc, E. Baudoin, R. Berthon, M.B. D’Anna, A. Decaix, B. Gratuze, C. Hamon, M. Poulmarc’h, “Excavations and researches at Kiçik Tepe (Azerbaijan). New data on the Neolithic of the Middle Kura Valley” at the workshop The Neolitization of the Caucasus, IFEA Istanbul

29.11.2019           “Food Transformation and Storage in an Early Centralized Society: The Case of Period VI A at Arslantepe, Malatya (ca. 3400–3200 BCE)” at the 5. wissenschaftliches Netzwerk der Abteilung Istanbul des DAI ‘Essen in Anatolien und Nachbarregionen’

29–30.10.2018      “The Late Chalcolithic ceramics from Gird-i Shamlu and Tell Begum” and with Pamela Fragnoli and Francesca Balossi Restelli “The case of Arslantepe” at the workshop Tracking Uruk Pottery, TOPOI, Freie Universität, Berlin

5.10.2018             “Arslantepe and the Mesopotamian world in the phase of the State formation: An interregional perspective” at the First International Arslantepe Archaeological Symposium (Malatya and Rome Universities), Malatya, October 4th-6th 2018

23.11.2017           “Food management and formal commensal events at the periphery of the ‘Uruk world’. The mass-production of coarse bowls at Arslantepe during period VI A (Late Chalcolithic 5, 3300-3100 BCE)” at the OREA, Austrian Academy of Science, Vienna

11.5.2017             “Material Dimensions of Food-Related Practices during period VI A (LC 5) at Arslantepe in Eastern Anatolia” at the Forschungstag, Institute for Near eastern Archaeology, Freie Universität, Berlin

5.5.2017               “And then? Pots and food during period VI A (Late Chalcolithic 5)” at the workshop Foodways in the development of inequality at Arslantepe, Turkey, from 4200 to 3500 BCE (Late Chalcolithic 2-4), organised by Francesca Balossi Restelli Humboldt Fellow at the Freie Universität, Berlin

15.1.2015             with G. Palumbi “Uruk, Pastoralism and Secondary Products. Was it a Revolution? A View from the Anatolian Highlands” at the IWH Symposium Appropriating innovations. Entangled knowledge in Eurasia, 5000-1500 BCE, Heidelberg, January 15-17 2015

Others (from 2015)

4.9.2025               M.B. D´Anna, P. Fragnoli, "Materialities of Exclusion: Archaeology and Heritage of Austro-Hungarian Psychiatric Institutions" at the 30th Annual meeting European Archaeological Association, Beograd/Online.

4–6.11.2024         K. Hradil, V. Ljubić-Tobisch, M.B. D’Anna, F. Cappa "Six years bridging science and culture In Austria: the work of Heritage Science Austria". Key-note paper of the Session "Bridging Science and Culture: Exploring Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Knowledge and Preservation of Cultural Heritage" at the Conference on Cultural Heritage and New Technology 29, Vienna.

24–25.10.2024      Poster. M.B. D’Anna, V. Ljubić-Tobisch, K. Hradil "Heritage Science Austria: status quo" at the 4th Conference Heritage Science Austria, Universität für Weiterbildung Krems, Krems.

4.4.2024               L. Ploszczanski, M.B. D´Anna, G. Haidvogl, U. Krippner, V. Ljubić-Tobisch "Heritage en detail: SEM and LM analysis of cultural heritage artefacts" at the 14. ASEM Workshop on Advanced Electron Microscopy, University of Graz.

September 2022    Poster. P. Fragnoli, S. Ladstätter, M.B. D´Anna, V. Anevlavi, R. Bade, E. Boccalon, G. Styhler-Aydın, "Archaeometry and heritage science: connecting and dividing elements". 3rd Conference Heritage Science Austria, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Vienna. Link: Fragnoli.pdf (heritagescience.at)

September 2022    Poster. V. Anevlavi, S.Ladstätter, W.Prochaska,P.Fragnoli,H. Schwaiger, E.Boccalon, B. Umfahrer, ""K. Burkhart, M.B. D´Anna, "Taking a closer look at the life cycle of marble objects: raw material procurement, manufacturing processes, use and significance, weathering, data management, and dissemination". 3rd Conference Heritage Science Austria, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Vienna. Link: PowerPoint Presentation (heritagescience.at)

June 2022             "Heritage Science Austria. An Austrian national hub of infrastructures and resources for the tangible cultural heritage" at the conference "Innovative Approaches of Accelerator Science and Technology for Suitable Heritage Management", IAEA (UN International Atomic Energy Agency), Vienna

6.4.2021               with G. Palumbi, B. Jalilov, F. Guliyev, M. Huseynov, M. Poulmarc’h, L. Astruc, E. Baudouin, R. Berthon, A. Decaix, B. Gratuze, C. Hamon, A. Mazuy, M. Regert, A. Ricci, “Report on 2018-2020 excavations and research at Kiçik Tepe and Qaraçinar (Azerbaijan). New data on the Neolithic and Kura-Araxes periods between the Kura River valley and the Lesser Caucasus Mountains” at the 12th ICAANE, 6–9 April, 2021, Università di Bologna

6.3.2020               with R. Aljadeer, B. Öğüt, N. Rol, “Female authorship in western Asian archaeology scientific publications”, ANAMED, Koç University, Istanbul

1.11.2019             “Local traditions and assimilation of external elements in the ceramic production at Tepecik (Altınova, Elazığ) during the Chalcolithic period” at ANAMED, Koç University, Istanbul

5.4.2018               with S. Mühl, “Un air de famille. Preliminary notes on the Late Chalcolithic period in the Shahrizor Plain (Slemani, Kurdistan)” at the workshop The Late Chalcolithic of Upper Mesopotamia and the interaction with Southern Uruk communities: new data and interpretations for a better understanding of the early urban world at the 11th ICAANE, 3–7 April, 2018, Munich, LMU

20.3.2017             with A. Ricci, M. Iserlis, K. Almammadov, B. Helwing, T. Aliyev “Early sedentism and the creation of new sociocultural spaces in the southern Caucasus during the Late Neolithic (6th Mill. BCE)” at the International Open Workshop 2017 Socio-Environmental Dynamics over the Last 12,000 Years: The Creation of Landscapes V March 20-24, 2017 - Kiel University

26.4.2016             with P. Fragnoli “Economic centralization, social complexity and pottery production at 4th millennium BCE Arslantepe (Malatya): investigating the notions of craft standardization and specialization” at the 10th ICAANE, 25–29 April, 2016, Vienna, Austrian Academy of Science

                            with A. Ricci, D. Guilbeau, C. Hamon, A. Decaix, B. Helwing, T. Aliyev “The 2015 field season at the site MPS18, Mil Plain (SW Azerbaijan)” at the 10th ICAANE, 25–29 April, 2016, Vienna, Austrian Academy of Science

13.9.2015             with F. Balossi Restelli and P. Piccione “Guess who’s coming to dinner? Cooking practices at Arslantepe from 4200 to 2000 BCE” at the 20th Annual meeting European Archaeological Association, Istanbul, September 10-14 2014

11.9.2015             with P. Fragnoli “Interdisciplinary Investigation on the 4th and 3rd Millennia BCE Pottery Production at Arslantepe-Malatya. Cultural and Technological Interaction, Transmission, Adaptation and Innovation” at the 20th Annual meeting of the European Archaeological Association, Istanbul, September 10-14 2014