Nuno Bicho, Ph.D.

Dr. Nuno Bicho is the Director of Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour located at Universidade do Algarve in Portugal. Nuno studies the shift from dependency of natural and wild resources to the production of foods with agriculture and pastoralism and believes citizen science is fundamental in archaeology.

What do you enjoy most/what do you find most interesting about your research topic?

I feel that my research on the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition is a way to understand how our ancestors radically changed their way of life, moving from a pure dependency of natural and wild resources to the production of foods with agriculture and pastoralism. It corresponds to a moment when society became complex and the origin of society was formed. And, of course, field archaeology is one of the best things in the world – it is one of the few sciences where one can work in the field in the midst of nature and still be able to produce science and new ideas on our own evolution.

How does citizen science support your research?

I truly believe that citizen science support is fundamental in archaeology. Ideas and experiences from the non-academic world can immensely help the progression of science in archaeology and human evolution – it makes us think in a different manner. And at the same time, the work with citizen scientists is a form of social return from our scientific endeavors to the society that financially supports research.

What is one of your favorite moments in the field?

There is nothing quite like finding a new archaeological site and beginning to test and excavate the site. Each site is unique and an incredible surprise and it is just amazing to find all those artifacts used by our ancestors many thousands of years ago. It is our personal trip to the past without science fiction!