Share a drink with Dr. Rose-Marie ARBOGAST and discuss about a...

Pint of Science - the international festival where everyone who’s interested in science can come, chat and share a drink with brilliant scientists around the world - is a couple of weeks away. As a partner of Pint of Science since long time, this year we continue to share with you lots of intriguing scientific topics discussed in France and 23 others countries during the event and offer an opportunity to know more about their brilliant speakers. First of all: Dr. Rose-Marie ARBOGAST - Research Director at The National Center for Scientific Research CNRS.

Could you introduce yourself in a few words?

I am a prehistorian, specialist of the Neolithic period which is characterized by the development of domestic animal breeding and the invention of agriculture. These innovations have led to a major upheaval in the way of life of prehistoric mankind, in the Middle East and as far as Western Europe from the 6th millennium BC. I am more specifically interested in the relationships between prehistoric men and animals which are addressed through the analysis of faunal remains found on archaeological sites. I studied history and archaeology at the University of Strasbourg and later specialized in osteology at the University of Earth Sciences in Geneva and defended a thesis on the first breeders of North Eastern France at the Sorbonne in Paris (1990).

What inspired you to choose this research topic?

The topic helps us understand the origins of the current way of life of a vast majority of humans which rely on the development of the production economy. It is also at the crossroads of human and natural sciences, which allows the combination of interests in both zoology and cultural anthropology

What’s a typical day at work like in your lab/office? / What are your specific roles in your lab?

My workdays combine the study of archaeological animal bones (species determination, trace analysis, records in databases), the preparation of analysis reports and articles and the supervision of students (Master, doctoral students). In my laboratory, I am the referent for archaeozoology and all that concerns the faunal analyses of archaeological sites and I am in charge of the osteotheque of the Zoological Museum of Strasbourg (comparison collection).

What will be the theme of your "conference" at Pint Of Science?

The topic of my conference is the domestication of the wolf and the evolutionary history of the domestic dog under the direct influence of man. I will show how the archaeozoological analysis of dog remains to allow us to trace the morphological evolution of this animal, the roles it plays with men but also its fate(s) and uses (as food, pet, hunting assistant, guardian...)

For the first time during this event, I’d like to share this up-to-date interdisciplinary research with original results with a non-specialist audience.

What's your vision on democratizing science?

Science should be everyone's business and should be accessible to all, a better diffusion of scientific results is a relevant democratic issue

Do you follow any online scientific personalities?

Anthropology and archeology via exhibitions and publications: : http://www.archeo-gallay.ch/
Social anthropology blog: http://cdarmangeat.blogspot.com/
Blog of Jean-Paul Demoule - Professor Emeritus of later European prehistory at Paris 1 University (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and honorary member of the Institut Universitaire de France: https://www.jeanpauldemoule.com/blog/

Do you recommend any scientific events?

I highly recommend the Historical exhibition in Germany

Curious about others Pints of Science’s talented speakers, just here to read our exceptional interview with Dr. Lisa RENARD and know more about anthropology.