Biography Dr. Ralph Araque Gonzalez

Dr. Ralph Araque Gonzalez

Studies: Prehistoric Archaeology, Cultural and Biological anthropology at Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg

2007 Magister Artium

2011-2016 PhD Thesis: „Inter-Cultural Communications and Iconography in the Western Mediterranean during the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age,” published 2018 (Leidorf)

2011-2014 Research associate at Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, University of Freiburg

Since 2021 Research associate at Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, University of Freiburg

Research interests

• Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the western Mediterranean
• Prehistoric Art, focus on Rock Art and Sculpture
• Intercultural communication, Mobility and contact situations
• Social Archaeology
• Conflict Archaeology
• Archaeology of Technology, Physical Work and Labour
• Prehistoric Architecture and stone-working
• Visual Culture in Archaeology

Current and Recent Projects

The Iberian stelae of the Final Bronze Age: iconography, technology and the transfer of knowledge between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean / Die Iberischen Stelen der Spätbronzezeit: Bildkunst, Technologie und Wissenstransfer zwischen Atlantik und Mittelmeer, in cooperation with the University of Coimbra (Portugal), the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC, Spain) and the Institute for Applied Geoscience of the University Darmstadt. Funded by Deutsche Forschungs-gemeinschaft (DFG-Project Nr. AR 1305/2-1).

Completed project: „Bildkunst und Kulturwandel im westlichen Mittelmeerraum von der Spätbronze- bis zur frühen Eisenzeit (c. 1200–500 v. Chr.).“ DFG-Project Nr. HU 974/7-1.

Archaeological Excavations

I participated in campaigns of the DAI in Zambujal, Portugal (2004), the Institute of Alpine Research of the University Innsbruck (2005-2007) and in the DFG-funded excavation project „Oppidum Martberg“ (2007-2008). In 2009, I worked for the Universidad de los Andes in Mérida, Venezuela, documenting petroglyphs and excavating. Between 2007 and 2011, I worked on archaeological sites in Ireland, Berlin, Moselle Valley, Freiburg and Basel. From 2016-2017, again in Basel-Stadt and 2018-2020 in Freiburg and Franconia.

My field experience comprises a broad chronological range from the Mesolithic and Neolithic throughout the Bronze Age, the Hallstatt- and La Tène periods to medieval sites in Europe and in Venezuela. These research as well as commercial digs encompassed diverse settlement structures, burial sites, architecture, rock art and unique features in alpine, tropical, wetland, rural and urban settings and involved traditional as well as digital recording techniques.