Faculty profile
Francesco Berna
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Read how they describe their research on their Simon Fraser University profile.
Latest papers
Early human collective practices and symbolism in the Early Upper Paleolithic of Southwest Asia.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024
Introduction to special issue: In search for modern humans and the Early Upper Paleolithic at Manot Cave, Western Galilee, Israel.
Journal of human evolution · 2021
Site formation processes at Manot Cave, Israel: Interplay between strata accumulation in the occupation area and the talus.
Journal of human evolution · 2021 · first author
Latest funding
- $94,937
The Utilization of Ancient Environmental DNA Techniques to Reconstruct Paleoenvironments: A Case Study Within The Sts'ailes Nation
SSHRC · 2026 · Principal investigator
- $36,613
Experimental Archaeology to Examine the Recovery of Human Remains DNA from Cemetery Soils
SSHRC · 2022 · Co-investigator
- $53,501
Were Neanderthals able to make fire at will? The Evidence from Oscurusciuto Rock Shelter, Apulia, Italy
SSHRC · 2022 · Principal investigator
11 publications.
Early human collective practices and symbolism in the Early Upper Paleolithic of Southwest Asia.
Barzilai O, Marder O, Tejero JM, Ayalon A, Bar-Matthews M, Abulafia T, Lavi R, Goder-Goldberger M, Shemer M, Edeltin L, Wiegmann A, Frumkin A, Karasik A, Yasur G, Yeshurun R, Zohar I, Berna F, Hans M, Goldberg JS, McDermott Y, Spurlock L, Pokhojaev A, Habashi W, May H, Sarig R, Hershkovitz I
Introduction to special issue: In search for modern humans and the Early Upper Paleolithic at Manot Cave, Western Galilee, Israel.
Marder O, Hershkovitz I, Gilead I, Berna F, Barzilai O
Site formation processes at Manot Cave, Israel: Interplay between strata accumulation in the occupation area and the talus.
Berna F, Boaretto E, Wiebe MC, Goder-Goldberger M, Abulafia T, Lavi R, Barzilai O, Marder O, Weiner S
Preliminary observations on the Levantine Aurignacian sequence of Manot Cave: Cultural affiliations and regional perspectives.
Marder O, Shemer M, Abulafia T, Bar-Yosef Mayer D, Berna F, Caux S, Edeltin L, Goder-Goldberger M, Hershkovitz I, Lavi R, Shavit R, Tejero JM, Yeshurun R, Barzilai O
Emergence of corpse cremation during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of the Southern Levant: A multidisciplinary study of a pyre-pit burial.
Bocquentin F, Anton M, Berna F, Rosen A, Khalaily H, Greenberg H, Hart TC, Lernau O, Horwitz LK
Hominin fire use in the Okote member at Koobi Fora, Kenya: New evidence for the old debate.
Hlubik S, Cutts R, Braun DR, Berna F, Feibel CS, Harris JWK
Radiocarbon chronology of Manot Cave, Israel and Upper Paleolithic dispersals.
Alex B, Barzilai O, Hershkovitz I, Marder O, Berna F, Caracuta V, Abulafia T, Davis L, Goder-Goldberger M, Lavi R, Mintz E, Regev L, Bar-Yosef Mayer D, Tejero JM, Yeshurun R, Ayalon A, Bar-Matthews M, Yasur G, Frumkin A, Latimer B, Hans MG, Boaretto E
Renewed excavations at Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa.
Chazan M, Horwitz LK, Ecker M, Koopowitz C, Rhodes SE, Morris D, Berna F
The depositional environments of Schöningen 13 II-4 and their archaeological implications.
Stahlschmidt MC, Miller CE, Ligouis B, Goldberg P, Berna F, Urban B, Conard NJ
On the evidence for human use and control of fire at Schöningen.
Stahlschmidt MC, Miller CE, Ligouis B, Hambach U, Goldberg P, Berna F, Richter D, Urban B, Serangeli J, Conard NJ
The Utilization of Ancient Environmental DNA Techniques to Reconstruct Paleoenvironments: A Case Study Within The Sts'ailes Nation
Principal investigators: Berna, Francesco
Experimental Archaeology to Examine the Recovery of Human Remains DNA from Cemetery Soils
Principal investigators: Yang, Dongya
Keywords: DNA identification of human remains; DNA recovery from soils; experimentation; DNA degradation; DNA fingerprinting; forensic identification
Were Neanderthals able to make fire at will? The Evidence from Oscurusciuto Rock Shelter, Apulia, Italy
Principal investigators: Berna, Francesco
Keywords: neanderthal; fire at will; strike-a-light; pahs
Were Neanderthals able to make fire at will? The Evidence from Oscurusciuto Rock Shelter, Apulia, Italy
Principal investigators: Berna, Francesco
Keywords: neanderthal; fire at will; strike-a-light; pahs
The Archaeology of the Precursors of Modern Humans at Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa
Principal investigators: Chazan, Michael
Keywords: archaeology; human origins; South Africa
The evolution of the use of fire from the Oldowan to the Late Stone Age at Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa
Principal investigators: Berna, Francesco
Keywords: fire; human evolution
Early hominin innovation and technological change: investigations in the Northern Cape province, South Africa
Principal investigators: Chazan, Michael
Keywords: archaeology; human evolution; anthropology; paleolithic
Evaluating the nature of fire associated with Homo erectus in Africa and Eurasia
Principal investigators: Berna, Francesco
From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.
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Profile data last refreshed on September 27, 2026 from the university directory, publication records and CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding.