Staff Profiles

Roles and Responsibilities

Postgraduate Director

Co-convenor of the Materiality, Artefacts & Technologies in Culture & History (MATCH) Faculty Research Group

Qualifications

2010        PhD in Archaeology, St. John's College, University of Cambridge (UK)

2003        Three-Year Specialisation School in European Prehistory, University of Milan (Italy)

1998        Bachelor's Degree in Classics and Archaeology, University of Milan (Italy)

Previous Positions

2016-22   Senior Lecturer in Later Prehistory, Newcastle University

2008-16   Lecturer in Later Prehistory, Newcastle University

2004-05   Lecturer in European Prehistory, Golden Age University, Milan (Italy)

Indicators of Esteem

Visiting Professor, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome (01/03-31/05/2023)

Member of the European Association of Archaeologists' Scientific Advisory Committee

Member of the Editorial Board, Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana

External Examiner for the Archaeology Postgraduate Degree Programme, UCL

Expert Evaluator for the European Commission

Google Scholar

SCOPUS

Research Interests

• Prehistoric metallurgy (especially copper alloys) and metalwork wear analysis
• Later prehistoric Italy and the central Mediterranean islands
• Prehistoric weaponry, warfare and violence
• Experimental archaeology
• Technological change, invention and innovation
• The archaeology of death and burial

Recent and Current Projects

2023-now Rethinking Warrior Burials in Prehistoric Europe. Collaborative student-led research project by Newcastle University, University of Rome 'Sapienza' and the University of Milan.

2023-now Towards a high-power approach to Metalwork Wear Analysis. Collaborative research project by Newcastle University, the University of Rome 'Sapienza' and Museo delle Civilta', Rome.

2023-now EgypToolWear - Metalwork Wear Analysis of Ancient Egyptian Tools. HorizonEurope Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating the function and social meaning of early Egyptian metal crafting tools (Fellow: Dr Martin Odler)

2021-now  WHAM - What this awl means. Horizon 2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigation the function of prehistoric copper-alloy awls in Europe (Fellow: Dr Stefano Viola).   

2019-21  Euro-Dag - The First European Daggers: Function, meaning, and social significance. Horizon2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating early lithic and metal daggers from Europe (Fellow: Dr Isabella Caricola)

2015-17  TEMPI - The Time of Early Metalwork in Prehistoric Italy. Horizon2020 Marie-Curie Individual Fellowship investigating the chronology and classification of early Italian metalwork (Fellow: Dr Cristiano Iaia)

2015-17  The First Halberds in Europe. Project investigating the chronology and function of early Italian halberds by radiocarbon dating and use-wear analysis (funding body: The Prehistoric Society)

2014-17  BATWEP - Bronze Age Tree-felling and Woodworking Experimental Project. Project investigating the use-value of Bronze Age axes by field and lab tests and wear analysis (with T. Joyce, J. Desrosier & L. Ansley)

2013-18  Bronze Age Combat: An Experimental Approach. Project investigating Late Bronze Age sword, spear, axe and shield fighting through field experiments, combat tests, and wear analysis (with R. Crellin, R. Hermann, M. Uckelmann, Q. Wang and others; funding bodies: Newcastle University and the British Museum)

2013-  Case Bastione Archaeological Project. Excavation and analysis of a multi-stratified settlement site in Sicily, third-second millennia BC (with E. Giannitrapani, F. Ianni' and others)

A broad selection of my research papers can be downloaded from my Academia.edu webpage.

Postgraduate Supervision

I am keen to supervise doctoral students working on any of my research areas; informal enquires are welcome. I am currently supervising the following students:

2023 - Lorena Hitchens

2021 - Justine McLean

2020 - John Pearson

2019 - Alessandro Armigliato

2018-  Eleonora Montanari

Undergraduate Teaching as Module Leader

ARA1026 - Introduction to Archaeological Science

ARA3100 - Archaeologies of the Middle Sea

Postgraduate Teaching as Module Leader

ARA8131 - Archaeologies of the Middle Sea 

ARA8186 - Ancient Metals: Technology and Scientific Analysis

• Articles

  • Dolfini A, Scholes SC, Collins J, Hardy S, Joyce TJ. Testing the efficiency of Bronze Age axes: An interdisciplinary experiment. Journal of Archaeological Science 2023, 152, 105741.
  • Dolfini A. Warrior graves reconsidered: metal, power and identity in Copper Age Italy. World Archaeology 2022, 53(5), 809-833.
  • Caricola I, Charles A, Tirillò J, Charlton F, Barton H, Breglia F, Rossi A, Chiara Deforian M, Maria De Marinis A, Harris S, Pellegrini A, Scacchetti F, Boccuccia P, Miari M, Dolfini A. organic residue analysis reveals the function of bronze age metal daggers. Scientific Reports 2022, 12, 6101.
  • Iaia C, Dolfini A. A new seriation and chronology for early Italian metalwork, 4500 - 2100 BC. Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche 2021, LXXI, 5186673.
  • Saupe T, Montinaro F, Scaggion C, Carrara N, Kivisild T, D'Atanasio E, Hui R, Solnik A, Lebrasseur O, Larson G, Alessandri L, Arienzo I, De Angelis F, Rolfo MF, Skeates R, Silvestri L, Beckett J, Talamo S, Dolfini A, Miari M, Metspalu M, Benazzi S, Capelli C, Pagani L, Scheib CL. Ancient genomes reveal structural shifts after the arrival of Steppe-related ancestry in the Italian Peninsula. Current Biology 2021, 31(12), 2576-2591.e12.
  • Dolfini A. From the Neolithic to the Bronze Age in Central Italy: Settlement, burial, and social change at the dawn of metal production. Journal of Archaeological Research 2020, 28, 503-556.
  • Dolfini A, Angelini I, Artioli G. Copper to Tuscany – Coals to Newcastle? The dynamics of metalwork exchange in early Italy. PLoS ONE 2020, 15(1), e0227259.
  • Hermann R, Dolfini A, Crellin RJ, Wang Q, Uckelmann M. Bronze Age Swordsmanship: New Insights from Experiments and Wear Analysis. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 2020, 27, 1040-1083.
  • Dolfini A, Collins R. Modelling physical and digital replication: Bridging the gap between experimentation and experience. Open Archaeology 2018, 4, 36-49.
  • Dolfini A, Crellin RJ. Metalwork wear analysis: The loss of innocence. Journal of Archaeological Science 2016, 66, 78-87.
  • Perucchetti L, Bray P, Dolfini A, Pollard AM. Physical barriers, cultural connections: Prehistoric metallurgy across the Alpine region. European Journal of Archaeology 2015, 18(4), 599-632.
  • Dolfini A. The Neolithic beginnings of metallurgy in the central Mediterranean region. Accordia Research Papers 2013, 13, 131-151.
  • Dolfini A. The Gendered House: Exploring domestic space in later Italian prehistory. Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 2013, 26(2), 131-157.
  • Dolfini A. The Emergence of Metallurgy in the Central Mediterranean Region: A New Model. European Journal of Archaeology 2013, 16(1), 21-62.
  • Dolfini A. Early Metallurgy in the Central Mediterranean: Goals for the next decade. Historical Metallurgy 2013, 47(1), 33-50.
  • Dolfini A. The function of Chalcolithic metalwork in Italy: an assessment based on use-wear analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 2011, 38(5), 1037-1049.
  • Dolfini A. The origins of metallurgy in central Italy: new radiometric evidence. Antiquity 2010, 84(325), 707-723.
  • Dolfini A. Embodied inequalities: burial and social differentiation in Copper Age Central Italy. Archaeological Review from Cambridge 2006, 21(2), 58-77.
  • Dolfini A. La necropoli di Rinaldone (Montefiascone, Viterbo): rituale funerario e dinamiche sociali di una comunità eneolitica in Italia centrale. Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana 2004, 95, 127-278.

• Authored Book

  • Dolfini A. Le abitazioni a pianta ellittica del settore III. Milan: Centro Studi di Preistoria e Archeologia, 2002.

• Book Chapters

  • Dolfini A. Metals: Manufacture and Use. In: Nikita, E; Rehren, T, ed. Encyclopedia of Archaeology, 2nd Edition. Elsevier, 2023, pp.504-522.
  • Dolfini A. Neolithic and Copper Age Mortuary Practices in the Italian Peninsula: Change of Meaning or Change of Medium?. In: J.R. Brandt, H. Ingvaldsen, M. Prusac, ed. Death and Changing Rituals: Function and Meaning in Ancient Funerary Practices. Oxford, UK: Oxbow, 2015, pp.17-44.
  • Dolfini A. Early metallurgy in the central Mediterranean. In: Roberts, B., Thornton, C, ed. Archaeometallurgy in Global Perspective. New York, USA: Springer, 2014, pp.473-506.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Negroni-Catacchio N, Miari M, Dolfini A. Rapporti tra area tirrenica ed adriatica durante l’Eneolitico alla luce della cultura di Rinaldone. In: Atti della 38a Riunione Scientifica dell’Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria. 2005, Florence: Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria.
  • Dolfini A. Lo spazio abitativo come spazio sociale: le case di Sorgenti della Nova nel quadro della protostoria italiana. In: Papers in Italian Archaeology VI. 2005, Oxford: Archaeopress.
  • Dolfini A. La fase di transizione Bronzo-Ferro nel territorio di Vulci: elementi di continuità e discontinuità nella cultura materiale. In: Atti del XXIII Convegno di Studi Etruschi ed Italici. 2005, Pisa-Rome: Istituti Editoriali e Poligrafici Internazionali.

• Edited Books

  • Dolfini A, Crellin RJ, Horn C, Uckelmann M, ed. Prehistoric Warfare and Violence: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. New York: Springer, 2018.
  • Negroni-Catacchio N, Cardosa M, Dolfini A, ed. Paesaggi d’Acque. La Laguna di Orbetello e il Monte Argentario tra Preistoria ed Età Romana. Milan: Centro Studi di Preistoria e Archeoologia, 2013.

• Editorial

  • Dolfini A, Bray P, Norgaard HW. Editorial: Transdisciplinary approaches to metal procurement and exchange in archaeology. Frontiers in Earth Science 2023, 11, 1334539.