Dr. Phil. (University Leipzig, Germany)

Post-Doctoral Fellow (Fellowship of the German Science Foundation)

My research focuses on the application of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, and strontium isotope analysis of skeletal material for reconstructing patterns of life histories in ancient periods. Sulphur isotope analysis is a powerful tool for ecological research and has its potential to impart detailed information about the diet and provenance of archaeological humans and animals. I am working world wide (Europe, Asia, North America, Pacific Islands) on different time periods (from Palaeolithic until medieval and modern times). I anticipate comparing archaeological and modern ecosystems to learn about anthropogenic and environmental changes over time. I am an associated scientist at the Max-Planck institute for evolutionary anthropology in Leipzig (Germany).

Jay M, Parker Pearson M, Richards MP, Nehlich O, Montgomery J, Chamberlain A, Sheridan A (in press) The Beaker People Project: an interim report on the progress of the isotopic analysis of the organic skeletal material. In Allen MJ, Sheridan A, McOmish D (Eds.), The British Chalcolithic: People, place and polity in the later 3rd millennium, Prehistoric Society Research Paper No. 4. Oxford, The Prehistoric Society and Oxbow Books.

Oelze V, Nehlich O, Richards MP (2012) ‘There is no place like home’ – No isotopic evidence for mobility at the Early Bronze Age cemetery of Singen, Germany. Archaeometry. (doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.2011.00644.x)

Rasmussen M, Guo X, Wang Y, Lohmueller KE, Rasmussen S, Albrechtsen A, Skotte L, Lindgreen S, Metspalu M, Jombart T, Kivisild T, Zhai W, Eriksson A, Manica A, Orlando L, De La Vega F, Tridico S, Metspalu E, Nielsen K, Ávila-Arcos MC, Moreno-Mayar JV, Muller C, Dortch J, Gilbert MTP, Lund O, Wesolowska A, Karmin M, Weinert LA, Wang B, Li J, Tai S, Xiao F, Hanihara T, van Driem G, Jha AR, Ricaut FX, de Knijff P, Migliano AB, Gallego-Romero I, Kristiansen K, Lambert DM, Brunak S, Forster P, Brinkmann B, Nehlich O, Bunce M, Richards MP, Gupta R, Bustamante CD, Krogh A, Foley RA, Lahr MM, Balloux F, Sicheritz-Pontén T, Villems R, Nielsen R, Wang J, Willerslev E (2011) An Aboriginal Australian Genome Reveals Separate Human Dispersals into Asia. Science 334(6052): 94-98. (doi:10.1126/science.1211177)

Nehlich O, Fuller BT, Smith C, Jay M, Mora A, Nicholson RA, Richards MP (2011) Application of sulphur isotope ratios to examine weaning patterns and freshwater fish consumption in Roman Oxfordshire, U.K.. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 75(17): 4963-4977. (doi:10.1016/j.gca.2011.06.009)

Towers J, Jay M, Mainland I, Nehlich O, Montgomery J (2011) A calf for all seasons? The potential of stable isotope analysis to investigate prehistoric husbandry practices. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(8): 1858-1868. ( doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.03.030)

Nehlich O, Boric D, Stefanovic S, Richards MP (2010) Sulphur isotope evidence for freshwater fish consumption: A case study from the Danube Gorges, SE Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(5): 1131-1139. (doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.12.013)

Nehlich O, Wahl J (2010) Binnengewässer – eine unterschätzte Nahrungsressource –Stabile Kohlenstoff-, Stickstoff- und Schwefelisotope aus dem Kollagen menschlicher und tierischer Knochenreste aus der urnenfelderzeitlichen Nekropole von Neckarsulm [in German]. Fundberichte aus Baden-Württemberg 31: 97-113.

Wahl J, Nehlich O, Price TD, Pusch CM (2010) Fürsten, Fakten, Forschungslücken – Anthropologische Schlaglichter zur Urnenfelder- und Hallstattzeit in Südwestdeutschland [in German]. In: Bofinger J and Krausse D (Eds.) Aktuelle Forschungen zu den Kelten in Europa – Festkolloquium für Landeskonservator Jörg Biel am 1. August 2008 in Altheim, Kr. Biberach. Arch. Inf. Baden-Württemberg 59: 45-52.

Hu Y, Shang H, Tong H, Nehlich O, Liu W, Zhao C, Yu J, Wang C, Trinkaus E, Richards MP (2009) Stable isotope dietary analysis of the Tianyuan 1 early modern human. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America PNAS 106(27): 10971-10974. (doi:10.1073/pnas.0904826106)

Nehlich O, Montgomery J, Evans J, Schade-Lindig S, Pichler SL, Richards MP, Alt KW (2009) Mobility or Migration – A case study from the Neolithic settlement of Nieder-Mörlen (Hessen, Germany). Journal of Archaeological Science 36(8): 1791-1799. (doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.04.008)

Nehlich O and Richards MP (2009) Establishing collagen quality criteria for sulphur isotope analysis of archaeological bone collagen. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 1(1): 59-75. (open access: www.springerlink.com)

Alt KW, Knörr J, Nehlich O (2008) Man ist, was man isst! Ernährung als Ausdruck kultureller und geschlechtlicher Sozialisation. In: Falkenstein F, Schade-Lindig S, Zeeb-Lanz A (Eds.) Kumpf, Kalotte, Pfeilschaftglätter: Zwei Leben für die Archäologie; Gedenkschrift für Annemarie Häußer und Helmut Spatz: Internationale Archäologie: Studia honoraria Vol. 27: 21-36.

Nehlich O, Montgomery J, Evans J, Richards MP, Alt KW (2007/2009) Biochemische Analyse Stabiler Isotope an prähistorischen Skelettfunden aus Westerhausen. Jahresschrift für mitteldeutsche Vorgeschichte 91: 329-350.

Meyer C, Kranzbühler J, Drings S, Bramanti B, Nehlich O, Richards MP, Alt KW (2007) Die menschlichen Skelettfunde aus der neolithischen Totenhütte von Benzingerode. Anthropologische Untersuchungen an den Bestattungen eines Kollektivgrabes der Bernburger Kultur. Meller H (Ed.) Archäologie in Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderband 7: Die Totenhütte von Benzingerode: Archäologie und Anthropologie, 107-160.