Wei Chu is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Archaeology and PI of the HOME project.

More information about Wei Chu

Office days

Monday to Friday

Research

My research aims to explore the interplay between material culture and the environment throughout our evolutionary past. Methodologically, I am focused on devising innovative models that elucidate how artifacts, archaeological sites, and fossilized behaviors are connected to past environments, utilizing data-driven techniques derived from both fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Lately, my attention has been directed towards uncovering the characteristics and timeline of the Late Middle Palaeolithic and early Upper Palaeolithic periods in East-Central Europe.

Since 2024, I have served as the Principal Investigator for the ERC-funded project HOME, which is dedicated to identifying a variety of Palaeolithic shelters dating back to the Late Pleistocene era. This endeavor involves systematic surveys and excavations of archaeological sites in East-Central Europe. Through this project, our objective is to enhance our comprehension of human habitation patterns and adaptations within this crucial region during a pivotal epoch in our prehistory.

Curriculum vitae

Education
2021 Habilitation, Prehistory; University of Cologne, DE
2013 Ph.D., Experimental Archaeology; University of Reading, UK
2008 M.A., Paleoanthropology; Leiden University, NL
2004 B.A., Cultural Anthropology (honors); Rutgers University, USA

Previous professional appointments

2021-2023 Researcher, Leiden University, NL

2014–2021 Researcher, Institute for Prehistory, University of Cologne, DE

Publications