ArCHe PhD School 3: Marine resources and techniques and Classifying marine remains

ArCHe PhD School 3 in Rennes, France, which encompassed PhD-course in “Marine resources and techniques” and a practical workshop on “Classifying marine remains”, conveyed a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary perspectives and practical approaches to the study of marine resources.

The PhD studentes are sitting at several long desks while analysing samples.

Full concentration while analysing the sample from the shell-midden. Photo: Almut Schülke, UiO.

Catherine Dupont (CNRS) and Esteban Álvarez-Fernández (University of Salamanca) organized the ArCHe Workshop IV “Classifying marine remains”, which took place on June 19th, 2026, in a geological laboratory at the University of Rennes. Here, the ArCHe DCs, each equipped with a microscope, pincette and other sorting equipment, learned how to sort and categorize remains from a prehistoric shell-midden, in this case from a layer from the Mesolithic shell-midden Beg-er-Vil (Quiberon, France), which was excavated in 2014.

A DC student in the top left corner is taking a sample out of a small plastic bag. In front of him are several trays with other samples. To the right side of him is a microscope. — Diverse shells and shell fragments, animal and fish bones, charcoal and gravel were meticulously separated from each other as a preparation for future malacological, archaeological and archaeobiological analysis. Photo: Almut Schülke, UiO.

PhD course IV on “Marine resources and techniques”, took place from June 22nd to June 24th, 2026, and was organised by Catherine Dupont (CNRS). It examined the exploitation of marine resources in prehistoric times from various angles, ranging from the resources themselves to the techniques used, and from the planning of their harvest to the disposal of waste, and at different scales (geographical, artefact size, etc.). The regions of Iberia, France, Norway and Latvia stood in focus. The course was composed of lectures by Esteban Álvarez-Fernández (University of Salamanca), Axel Mjærum (University of Oslo), Valdis Bērziņš (University of Latvia) and Jean-Marc Pétillon, Marie-Yvane Daire, and Catherine Dupont and a presentation by DC7 Anass Butsch (all CNRS) followed by lively and inspiring discussions. Further, Hélène Botcazou presented the ArCHe partner institution ADRAMAR, dedicated to the exploration, protection and dissemination of maritime archaeological heritage.

Two people, Catherine Dupont and Esteban Álvarez-Fernández, are standing in front of a white board. In front of them are several large rocks placed on a wooden table. It the very foreground in the centre is a microscope. — Catherine Dupont and Esteban Álvarez-Fernández led the workshop. Photo: Almut Schülke, UiO.

These training events successfully rounded off the PhD courses and practical workshops in the ArCHe Joint Training program.

Axel Mjørum is standing in the far back in front of a digital screen. In the foreground are 3 rows of people listening to his lecture. — Lecture on "Managing Mesolithic Coastal and Inland Resources" by Axel Mjærum, UiO. Photo: Almut Schülke, UiO.

Published July 7, 2026 11:22 AM - Last modified July 7, 2026 11:22 AM