Ms. Karolina Werens

My archaeological work is focused on individual life histories, tracking changes in people’s diet, health and interaction with the environment throughout their lives, from early childhood to adulthood.

At VUB, my research involves isotope analysis of strontium ratios in plant samples to build isoscapes and make predictions about the provenance of people and animals in the past.

As a part of my research at the University of Oxford, I combine multiple isotopic proxies with GIS-based spatial analysis to investigate Neolithic micro-regional connectivity in the Baikal region, Southern Siberia. To date, I have also analysed human skeletons and mummies from the UK, Poland, Peru and the Canary Islands.

Background

DPhil Archaeological Science, University of Oxford (2020-2024)
MSc Archaeological Science, University of Oxford (Distinction; 2020)
MSc Human Osteology and Palaeopathology, University of Bradford (Distinction; 2018)
NVQ 3 in Archaeological Practice; Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (2016)

Key Research Interests

Isotope analysis (C, N, O, Sr)
Spatial analysis and isoscapes
Human osteology
Individual life histories Radiocarbon dating (F14C)
Method development

Main Publications

Linderholm, A., Kılınç, G. M., Szczepanek, A., Włodarczak, P., Jarosz, P., Belka, Z., Dopieralska, J., Werens, K., Górski, J., Storå, J., Rodríguez-Varela, R., Götherström, A., Mazurek, M., Hozer, M., Rybicka, M., Ostrowski, M., Bagińska, J., Koman, W., Krzewińska, M. (2019) Reading the past in genetic, isotopic and archaeological traces of the Corded Ware culture communities in south-eastern Poland. Scientific Reports 10:6885.
Werens, K., Szczepanek, A., P. Jarosz, P. (2019) Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in CWC graves from Mirocin. In: Jarosz, P., Machnik, J., Szczepanek, A. (Eds.) Via Archaeologica Ressoviensia. Rzeszów: Fundacja Rzeszowskiego Ośrodka Archeologicznego. 225-233.
Szczepanek, A., Belka, Z., Jarosz, P., Włodarczak, P., Pospieszny, Ł., Dopieralska, J., Frei, K. M., Rauba-Bukowska, A., Werens, K., Górski, J., Hozer, M., Mazurek, M. (2018) Understanding Final Neolithic communities in south-eastern Poland: New insights on diet and mobility from isotopic data. PLOS ONE 13:e0207748.
Werens, K., Szczepanek, A., Jarosz, P. (2018) Light stable isotope analysis of diet in Corded Ware culture communities: Sites of Święte in the Rzeszów foothills. In: A. Kośko, P. Włodarczak (Eds) Reception of Pontic culture traditions among the Final Eneolithic communities in the Subcarpathian region, IIIrd millennium BC. Baltic-Pontic Studies 23:229-245.
Werens, K., (2018) Osteological Analysis Reports. Volumes I-III. Sandomierz: District Museum in Sandomierz

karolina.werens@stx.ox.ac.uk