Gilliane Monnier
· Director of Undergraduate Studies, ProfessorVerifiedUniversity of Minnesota · Anthropology
Active 1970–2023
About
Dr. Gilliane Monnier is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Minnesota, specializing in Paleolithic archaeology with a focus on Neanderthal behavior through their stone tools. Her research involves lithic analysis and microarchaeology conducted both in laboratory settings and in the field. She investigates Neanderthals’ responses to climatic and environmental changes around 60,000 to 40,000 years ago, particularly during the period leading up to their extinction. Her work includes multi-disciplinary excavations at the site of Crvena Stijena in Montenegro, where she serves as co-Principal Investigator, and she employs her microarchaeological expertise to analyze fire use, paleo-environments, and site formation processes. Monnier has also contributed to understanding stone tool usage by developing new methods of lithic residue analysis utilizing advanced microscopic and analytical techniques. She has a strong commitment to education and research, working closely with students in her lab, field, and classroom, and has co-founded the Advanced Imaging Service for Objects and Spaces to bring cutting-edge imaging technology to researchers. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge, and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Research topics
- Geology
- Computer Science
- Archaeology
- Mineralogy
- Geography
- Paleontology
- Geomorphology
- Ecology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Optics
- Biology
- Geophysics
Selected publications
Research Square · 2023-07-05 · 1 citations
preprintOpen accessAbstract Modeling the subsistence strategies of prehistoric groups depends on the accuracy of the faunal identifications that provide the basis for these models. However, our knowledge remains limited about the reproducibility of published taxonomic identifications and how they accurately reflect the range of species deposited in the archaeological record. This study compares taxonomic identifications at three Paleolithic sites (Saint-Césaire and Le Piage in France, Crvena Stijena in Montenegro) characterized by high levels of fragmentation. Identifications at these sites were derived using two methods: morphological identification and collagen fingerprinting, the latter a peptide-based approach known as ZooMS. Using a double-blind experimental design, we show that the two methods give taxonomic profiles that are statistically indistinguishable at all three sites. However, rare species and parts difficult to identify such as ribs seem more frequently associated with errors of identification. Comparisons with the indeterminate fraction indicate that large game is over-represented in the ZooMS sample at two of the three sites. These differences are possibly an artifact caused by differential fragmentation of elements from large species. Collagen fingerprinting can produce critical insights on the range distribution of animal prey in the past while also contributing to improved models of taphonomic processes and subsistence behavior.
Scientific Reports · 2023-11-01 · 12 citations
articleOpen accessModeling the subsistence strategies of prehistoric groups depends on the accuracy of the faunal identifications that provide the basis for these models. However, our knowledge remains limited about the reproducibility of published taxonomic identifications and how they accurately reflect the range of species deposited in the archaeological record. This study compares taxonomic identifications at three Paleolithic sites (Saint-Césaire and Le Piage in France, Crvena Stijena in Montenegro) characterized by high levels of fragmentation. Identifications at these sites were derived using two methods: morphological identification and collagen fingerprinting, the latter a peptide-based approach known as ZooMS. Using a double-blind experimental design, we show that the two methods give taxonomic profiles that are statistically indistinguishable at all three sites. However, rare species and parts difficult to identify such as ribs seem more frequently associated with errors of identification. Comparisons with the indeterminate fraction indicate that large game is over-represented in the ZooMS sample at two of the three sites. These differences possibly signal differential fragmentation of elements from large species. Collagen fingerprinting can produce critical insights on the range distribution of animal prey in the past while also contributing to improved models of taphonomic processes and subsistence behavior.
Quaternary Science Reviews · 2022-10-02 · 6 citations
articleOpen accessThis study presents a hydroclimatic reconstruction from Crvena Stijena (Montenegro, Balkan Peninsula), a rock shelter that has yielded evidence for Middle Paleolithic human occupation. The integration of lipid biomarkers, hydrogen (δD) isotopic compositions of n-alkanes, and organic elemental geochemistry in the 7-m deep vertical sedimentary sequence enables reconstruction of the main hydrological and environmental changes during the MIS 3 and their correlation with the presence at the site. We apply agglomerative hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis to the geochemical, molecular, and stable isotopic data to obtain a robust hydrological record. We find evidence of three aridity trends from the studied period, one of them correlated with the Heinrich Event 5, and humid and cold-temperate conditions in archaeology-rich layers. Our dataset also contributes to the knowledge of past hydrological variability in the Balkan Peninsula, a sensitive area to short-lived climatic shifts, and overall, in the Mediterranean region during the last glacial/interglacial cycle.
PLoS ONE · 2022-04-07 · 20 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authorInvestigations of organic lithic micro-residues have, over the last decade, shifted from entirely morphological observations using visible-light microscopy to compositional ones using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy, providing a seemingly objective chemical basis for residue identifications. Contamination, though, remains a problem that can affect these results. Modern contaminants, accumulated during the post-excavation lives of artifacts, are pervasive, subtle, and even “invisible” (unlisted ingredients in common lab products). Ancient contamination is a second issue. The aim of residue analysis is to recognize residues related to use, but other types of residues can also accumulate on artifacts. Caves are subject to various taphonomic forces and organic inputs, and use-related residues can degrade into secondary compounds. This organic “background noise” must be taken into consideration. Here we show that residue contamination is more pervasive than is often appreciated, as revealed by our studies of Middle Palaeolithic artifacts from two sites: Lusakert Cave 1 in Armenia and Crvena Stijena in Montenegro. First, we explain how artifacts from Lusakert Cave 1, despite being handled following specialized protocols, were tainted by a modern-day contaminant from an unanticipated source: a release agent used inside the zip-top bags that are ubiquitous in the field and lab. Second, we document that, when non-artifact “controls” are studied alongside artifacts from Crvena Stijena, comparisons reveal that organic residues are adhered to both, indicating that they are prevalent throughout the sediments and not necessarily related to use. We provide suggestions for reducing contamination and increasing the reliability of residue studies. Ultimately, we propose that archaeologists working in the field of residue studies must start with the null hypothesis that miniscule organic residues reflect contamination, either ancient or modern, and systematically proceed to rule out all possible contaminants before interpreting them as evidence of an artifact’s use in the distant past.
Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2022-01-01
articleArchaeological and Anthropological Sciences · 2021 · 28 citations
- Mineralogy
- Geology
- Chemistry
intensity ratio. This method can be applied on raw sample material and on uncovered micromorphological thin sections. The latter greatly compliments micromorphology by providing information about char fragments without any clear morphological characteristics. This study is the first of its kind and may provide archaeologists with a robust new method to distinguish animal- from plant-derived char in thin sections. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-020-01263-3.
Scientific Reports · 2020 · 24 citations
- Computer Science
- Archaeology
- Computer Science
Characterizing organic matter preserved in archaeological sediment is crucial to behavioral and paleoenvironmental investigations. This task becomes particularly challenging when considering microstratigraphic complexity. Most of the current analytical methods rely on loose sediment samples lacking spatial and temporal resolution at a microstratigraphic scale, adding uncertainty to the results. Here, we explore the potential of targeted molecular and isotopic biomarker analysis on polyester resin-impregnated sediment slabs from archaeological micromorphology, a technique that provides microstratigraphic control. We performed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectromety (GC-IRMS) analyses on a set of samples including drill dust from resin-impregnated experimental and archaeological samples, loose samples from the same locations and resin control samples to assess the degree of interference of polyester resin in the GC-MS and Carbon-IRMS signals of different lipid fractions (n-alkanes, aromatics, n-ketones, alcohols, fatty acids and other high polarity lipids). The results show that biomarkers within the n-alkane, aromatic, n-ketone, and alcohol fractions can be identified. Further work is needed to expand the range of identifiable lipid biomarkers. This study represents the first micro-contextual approach to archaeological lipid biomarkers and contributes to the advance of archaeological science by adding a new method to obtain behavioral or paleoenvironmental proxies.
Journal of Archaeological Science · 2020-12-24 · 8 citations
articleCorrespondingAbstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2020-01-01
article1st authorCorrespondingGeophysical Journal International · 2020 · 14 citations
- Geology
- Mineralogy
- Geophysics
SUMMARY An archaeomagnetic, rock magnetic and magnetic fabric study has been carried out on seven anthropogenic ash horizons in the Middle Palaeolithic sedimentary level XXIV at the rock shelter of Crvena Stijena (‘Red Rock’), Montenegro. The study has multiple goals, including the identification of iron bearing minerals formed during combustion, assessment of the suitability of these combustion features for recording the Earth´s magnetic field direction, revelation of the magnetic fabric and its significance in the characterization of cave (rock shelter) burnt facies, and identification of post-burning alteration processes. Magnetite has been identified as the main ferromagnetic component of the ash. The ash layers exhibit a high thermomagnetic reversibility in contrast to the irreversible behaviour of their subjacent burnt black layers which is related to the different temperatures attained. Seven mean archaeomagnetic directions were obtained with acceptable statistical values indicating that these features recorded the field direction at the time of burning. However, some of them are out of the expected range of secular variation for mid-latitude regions suggesting post-burning alterations. The magnetic fabric of the ash was characterized by anisotropy of low field magnetic susceptibility measurements. Statistical analysis (box and whisker plot) of the basic anisotropy parameters, such as foliation, lineation, degree of anisotropy and the shape parameter, along with the alignment of the principal susceptibilities on stereoplots, revealed variation among the ash units. The diverse, oblate to prolate, lineated or strongly foliated, quasi-horizontally and vertically oriented fabrics of the units may indicate different slope processes, such as orientation by gravity, solifluction, run-off water, quasi-vertical migration of groundwater and post-burning/post-depositional alteration of the fabric by rockfall impact. In sum, the magnetic characterization of the ash layers has shown the occurrence of different post-burning alteration processes previously not identified at the site. Alteration processes in prehistoric combustion features are often identified from macroscopic observations but our study demonstrates that multiple processes can affect them and are usually unnoted because they take place on a microscopic scale. Their identification is critical for a correct chronological and cultural interpretation of a site (e.g. collection of samples for dating, stratigraphic displacement of remains), especially if significant alterations are involved. Magnetic methods are therefore a powerful but underutilized tool in palaeolithic research for the identification and evaluation of taphonomic processes affecting prehistoric fires.
Recent grants
Developing FTIR microscopy for lithic residue analysis
NSF · $124k · 2014–2018
Frequent coauthors
- 15 shared
Gilbert Tostevin
University of Minnesota
- 15 shared
B Jacotot
- 14 shared
Ellery Frahm
- 12 shared
J. L. Beaumont
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Henri-Mondor
- 9 shared
Carolina Mallol
- 8 shared
Goran Pajović
Prirodnjacki Muzej Crne Gore
- 7 shared
Isabelle Crevecœur
- 7 shared
Mile Baković
Prirodnjacki Muzej Crne Gore
Labs
Gilliane Monnier LabPI
Awards & honors
- Four National Science Foundation grants since 2014
- Two Fulbright Senior Scholar awards
- Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage grant
- co-founded the Advanced Imaging Service for Objects and Spac…
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