Norbert Mercier

**Norbert MERCIER** Archéosciences Bordeaux UMR 6034 CNRS - Université Bordeaux Montaigne Maison de l'archéologie, 33607 PESSAC Cedex, FRANCE phone: +33 5 57 12 15 86, e-mail: norbert.mercier@u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr **(a) Professional Preparation** University of Paris 7, France Physics Diploma, 1989 University of Bordeaux, France Archaeometry PhD.,1992 University of Roma, Italy Physics Post-Doc, 1993 **(b) Appointments** Since Oct 2018 : Research Director 1st class, Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l'Archéologie, UMR 5060, Pessac (France) Oct 2008 – Oct 2018 : Research Director 2nd class, Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l'Archéologie, UMR 5060, Pessac (France) Aug 2007 - Oct 2008: Research Fellow, Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l'Archéologie, UMR5060, Gif-sur-Yvette (France) Oct 1993 - July 2007: Research Fellow, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, UMR8212, Gif-sur-Yvette (France) **(c) Description of Research Interests:** Dr. Mercier’s PhD thesis (1992) was focused on the development of an improved technique of thermoluminescence (TL) for dating burnt flints on the verge of saturation ; with this technique, he established a new chronology for the Tabun Cave Middle Paleolithic site (Israel), whose lithic industries serve as reference for the entire Near East. In the following years, his main efforts have been devoted to providing TL dates for various Middle Palaeolithic sites around the Mediterranean sea in order to model prehistoric population changes. He set up a laboratory for optical dating (OSL) of sediments using quartz grains and extended his research activities to open-air sites. He participated in several multi-disciplinary projects in Europe, Near-East and South Africa where his interests were focused on the origins of modern humans. After his move to the University of Bordeaux in 2007, he contributed to setting up the largest luminescence dating laboratory in France and worked on the development of new dosimetric tools (minerals, equipments and numerical models) aimed at improving the precision and accuracy of the dating results. During the last three years, he contributed to develop the use of Laser ablation- ICPMS measurements for dating (using desiquilibrium in the U-series – i.e. U/Th dating technique) different archaeological materials of interest in Prehistory (eggshells, teeth, different types of carbonates). His research fields are mainly located in the Middle East, the mediterranean basin, and South and West Africa. **(d) Products** **(i)** 149 articles published in national and international peer-review journals (Journal of Human Evolution, Journal of Archaeological Science, Quaternary Geochronology, Science, Nature, Ancient TL, Radiation Measurements, PlosOne, Geochronometria, Quaternaire…) **(ii) publications from 2018 to 2022** Kreutzer, S., Duval, M., Bartz, M., Bertran, P., Bosq, M. Eynaud, F. ,Verdin, F., **Mercier, N**. 2018. Deciphering long-term Coastal dynamics using IR-RF and ESR Dating: A case study from Médoc, France. *Quaternary Geochronology* 48, 108-120. (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2018.09.005>) Hershkovitz, I., Weber, G. W., Quam, R., Duval, M., Grün, R., Kinsley, L., Ayalon, A., Bar-Matthews, M., Valladas, H., **Mercier, N.,** Arsuaga, J. L., Martinón-Torres, M., Bermúdez de Castro, J. M., Fornai, C., Martín-Francés, L., Sarig, R., May, H., Krenn, V. A., Slon, V., Rodríguez, L., García, R., Lorenzo, C., Carretero, J. M., Frumkin, A., Shahack-Gross, R., Bar-Yosef Mayer, D., Cui, Y., Wu, X., Peled, N., Groman-Yaroslavski, I., Weissbrod, L., Yeshurun, R., Tsatskin, A., Zaidner, Y., Weinstein-Evron, M., 2018. The Earliest Modern Humans outside Africa. *Science* 359, 456–459. Christophe, C., Philippe, A., Guérin, G., **Mercier, N.,** Guibert, P., 2018. Bayesian approach to OSL dating of poorly bleached sediment samples : Mixture Distribution Models for Dose (MD2). *Radiation Measurements* 108, 59-73. (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2017.10.007>) 11 Kreutzer, S., Martin, L., Guérin, G., Tribolo, C., Selva, P., **Mercier, N.** 2018. Environmental dose rate determination using a passive dosimeter : techniques and workflow for a-Al2O3:C chips. *Geochronometria,* 45, 56-67 (https://doi.org/10.1515/geochr-2015-0086) Martin, L., Fang, F., **Mercier, N.**, Incerti, S., Grün, R., Lefrais, Y., 2018. 2D modelling: A Monte Carlo approach for assessing heterogeneous beta dose rate in luminescence and ESR dating: Paper I, theory and verification. *Quaternary Geochronology* 48, 25-37. (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2018.07.004>) Fang, F., Martin, L., **Mercier, N.**, Incerti, S., Grün, R., Lefrais, Y., 2018. 2D modelling: A Monte Carlo approach for assessing heterogeneous beta dose rates in luminescence and ESR dating: Paper ΙΙ, application to igneous rocks. *Quaternary Geochronology* 48, 195-206 (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2018.07.005>) Despriée, J., Bayle, G., Coutard, S., Sun, X., **Mercier, N.,** Courcimault, G., Marquer, L., Voinchet, P., Bahain, J-J., Locht, J-L., 2018. La formation lœssique du Pléistocène moyen et supérieur de la Jouannière à Bonneval, Eure‑et‑loir (France) : sédimentologie, géochronologie, paléoenvironnement et préhistoire. *Quaternaire* 29, 2, (http://journals.openedition.org/quaternaire/8872 ; DOI : 10.4000/quaternaire.8872) Porraz, G., Val, A., Tribolo, C., **Mercier, N.,** de la Peña, P., Haaland, M., Igreja, M., Miller, C.E. Viola C., Schmid, V. 2018. The MIS5 Pietersburg at '28' Bushman Rock Shelter, Limpopo Province, South Africa. *PLOS ONE* (<https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202853>) Kreutzer, S., Martin, L., Dubernet, S., **Mercier, N.** 2018. The IR-RF alpha-Efficiency of K-feldspar. *Radiation Measurements,* 120, 148-156. Bosq, M., Bertran, P., Beauval, C., Kreutzer, S., Duval, M., Bartz, M., **Mercier, N.,** Sitzia, L., Stéphan, P. 2019. Stratigraphy and chronology of Pleistocene coastal deposits in Northern Aquitaine, France : a reinvestigation. *Quaternaire,* 30 (1), 5-20. Coussot, C., Liard, M., Kreutzer, S., **Mercier, N**. 2019. Séquence de comblement d’un paléovallon en contexte de plateau beauceron (290-10 ka): la coupe de Courville-sur-Eure (Eure-et-Loir, France). *Quaternaire*, 30, (2), 167-183. Tribolo, C., Kreutzer, S., **Mercier, N.,** 2019. How reliable are our beta-source calibrations? *Ancient TL,* 37, (1) 1-10. Frouin, M., Lahaye, C., Valladas, H., Higham, T., Delagnes, A., **Mercier, N.** 2019. Corrigendum to “Dating the Middle Palaeolithic deposits of La Quina Amont (Charente, France) using luminescence methods” \[Journal of Human Evolution 109 (2017) 30-45\]. *Journal of Human Evolution* 124, 140-141. 12 Richard, M., Falguères, C., Valladas, H., Ghaleb, B., Pons-Branchu, E., **Mercier, N.,** Richter, D., Conard, N. 2019. New electron spin resonance (ESR) ages from Geißenklösterle Cave: A chronological study of the Middle and early Upper Paleolithic layers. *Journal of Human Evolution* 133, 133-145. Mallol, C., Hernández, C., **Mercier, N.** et al. 2019. Fire and brief human occupations in Iberia during MIS 4: Evidence from Abric del Pastor (Alcoy, Spain). Scientific Reports9, 18281 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54305-9. Friesem, D. E., Malinsky-Buller, A., Ekshtain, R., Gur-Arieh, S., Vaks, A., **Mercier, N.,** Richard, M., Guérin, G., Valladas, H., Auger, F., Hovers, E. 2019. New Data from Shovakh Cave and Its Implications for Reconstructing Middle Paleolithic Settlement Patterns in the Amud Drainage, Israel. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology 2, 298–337 (<https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-019-00028-2>) **Mercier, N.,** Martin, L., Kreutzer, S.,Moineau, V., Cliquet, D. 2019. Dating the palaeolithic footprints of ‘Le Rozel’ (Normandy, France). Quaternary Geochronology 49, 271-277 (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2017.12.005>) Kreutzer, S., Tribolo, C., Martin, L., **Mercier, N.** 2020. Dose-Rate Estimation using a-Al2O3:C Chips: Aftermath. *Ancient TL,* 38, 1-10. Berger, J-F., Guilbert-Berger, R., Marast, A., Munoz, O., Guy, H., Barra, A., López-Sáez, J-A., Pérez-Díaz, S. Mashkour, M., Debue, K., Lefèvre, C., Gosselin, M., Brugnaux, G., Mougne, C., Thorin, S., Nisbet, R., Oberlin, C., **Mercier, N.,** Richard, M., Depreux, B., Bearez, P. 2020. First contribution of the excavation and the chronostratigraphic study of Ruways 1 Neolithic shell midden (Oman), in terms of Neolithization, palaeoeconomy, social-environmental interactions and site formation processes. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 32-49 (https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12144) Richard, M., **Mercier, N.,** Charpentier, V., Berger, J-F. 2020. OSL chronology of socio-ecological systems during the mid-Holocene in the eastern coast of the Sultanate of Oman (Arabian Peninsula). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 33, 102465 (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102465>) Chevrier, B., Lespez, L., Lebrun, B., Garnier, A., Tribolo, C., Rasse, M., Guérin, G., **Mercier, N.,** Camara, A., Ndiaye, M., Huysecom, E. 2020. New data on settlement and environment at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary in Sudano-Sahelian West Africa: Interdisciplinary investigation at Fatandi V, Eastern Senegal. PlosOne. (<https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243129>) Kreutzer, S., Valladas, H., Texier, P-J., Moineau, V., Mologni, C., **Mercier, N.** 2020. The Mousterian loess sequence La Combette (France) and its chronological framework: A re-investigation. Comptes Rendus Palevol 14, 225-252. (<https://doi.org/10.5852/cr-palevol2021v20a14>) Lebrun, B ., Frerebeau, N., Paradol, G., Guérin, G., **Mercier, N.** et al. 2020. gamma: An R Package for Dose Rate Estimation from In-Situ Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Measurements. Ancient TL, 38 (2), 1-5. ⟨hal-03019182⟩ 13 Zaidner, Y., Centi, L., Prévost, M., **Mercier, N.,** Falguères, C., Guérin, G., Valladas, H. Richard, M., Galy, ; A., Pécheyran, C., Tombret, O., Pons-Branchu, E., Porat, N., Shahack-Gross, R., Friesem, D., Yeshurun, R., Turgeman-Yaffe, Z., Frumkin, A., Herzlinger, G., Ekshtain, R., Shemer, M., Varoner,O., Sarig, R., May, H., Hershkovitz, I. 2021. Middle Pleistocene Homo behavior and culture at 140,000 to 120,000 years ago and interactions with Homo sapiens. Science 372, 6549, 1429-1433 ([https:///doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3020](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3020)) **Mercier, N.,** Galharret, J.-M., Tribolo, C., Kreutzer, S., and Philippe, A. 2021. Luminescence age calculation through Bayesian convolution of equivalent dose and dose-rate distributions: the De\_Dr model. Geochronology (<https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2021-38>) Galharret, J-M., Philippe, A., **Mercier, N.** 2021. Detection of outliers with a Bayesian hierarchical model: application to the single-grain luminescence dating method. Electronic Journal of Applied Statistical Analysis 14, 2 (<https://doi.org/10.1285/i20705948v14n2p318>). Murari, M. K., Kreutzer, S., King, G., Frouin, M., Tsukamoto, S., Schmidt, C., Lauer, T., Klasen, N., Richter, D., Friedrich, J., **Mercier, N.,** Fuchs, M. 2021. Infrared radiofluorescence (IR-RF) dating: A review. Quaternary Geochronology 64, 101155 (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2021.101155>) Douze, K., Lespez, L., Rasse, M., Tribolo, C., Garnier, A., Lebrun, B., **Mercier, N.,** Ndiaye, M., Chevrier, B., Huysecom, E. 2021 AWest African Middle Stone Age site dated to the beginning of MIS 5: Archaeology, chronology, and paleoenvironment of the Ravin Blanc I (Eastern Senegal). Journal of Human Evolution 154, 102952 (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102952>) Mauz, B., Martin, L., Discher, M., Tribolo, C., Kreutzer, S., Bah, C., Lang, A., **Mercier, N.** 2021. Technical note: On the reliability of laboratory beta-source calibration for luminescence dating. Geochronology, 3, 371–381, (<https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-371-2021>) Slimak, L., Zanolli, C., Higham, T., Frouin, M., Schwenninger, J-L., Arnold, L. J., Demuro, M., Douka, K., **Mercier, N.,** Guérin, G., Valladas, H., Yvorra, P., Giraud, Y., Seguin-Orlando, A., Orlando, L., Lewis, J. E., Muth, X., Camus, H., Vandevelde, S., Buckley, M., Mallol, C., Stringer, C., Metz, L. 2022, Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France. Science Advances 8, 6 (<https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj9496>) Mihailovic, D., Kuhn, S. L., Bogicevi, K., Dimitrijevi, V., Marín-Arroyo, A. B., Markovi, J., **Mercier, N.,** Mihailovic, B., Morley, M. W., Radovic, P., Rink, W. J., Plavsi, S., Roksandic, M. 2022. Connections between the Levant and the Balkans in the late MiddlevPleistocene: Archaeological findings from Velika and Mala BalanicavCaves (Serbia). Journal of Human Evolution 163 (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103138>) Martin, L., Galy, A., Barbotin G., Claverie, F., Pons-Branchu, E., Tribolo, C., **Mercier, N.,** Pécheyran, C. 2022. Isotopic Imaging Using fsLA Single-Collector ICP-SFMS for Direct U/Th Dating of Small Archaeological Carbonates. Analytical Chemistry (<https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02241>) Ben Arous, E., Philippe, A., Shao, Q., Richter, D., Lenoble, A., **Mercier, N.,** et al. 2022. An improved chronology for the Middle Stone Age at El Mnasra cave, Morocco. PLoS ONE 17(2): e0261282. (<https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261282>) 14 Bahain, J-J., **Mercier, N.,** Valladas, H., Falguères, C., Masaoudi, H., Joron, J-L., Froget, L., Moigne, A-M., Combier, J., Moncel, H-H. 2022. Reappraisal of the chronology of Orgnac 3 Lower-to-Middle Paleolithic site (Ardèche, France), a regional key sequence for the Middle Pleistocene of southern France. Journal of Human Evolution 162 (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103092>) Tribolo, C., **Mercier, N.,** Martin, L., Taffin, N., Miller, C. E., Will, M., Conard, N. 2022. Luminescence dating estimates for the coastal MSA sequence of Hoedjiespunt 1 (South Africa). Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 41 (<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103320>) **(e) Synergistic Activities** · Member of the Editorial Board of three journals : *Ancient TL* , *Quaternaire* and *PALEO* · Participant, presenter, and session chair at various national and international conferences · Reviewer for international institutions : Israel Science Foundation, Council of Canada, Swiss National Science Foundation, National Science Center – Poland, as well as several scientific journals. · Head of the Dating Luminescence Group at IRAMAT-CRP2A (2007-2017). (e) Collaborators and other Affiliations ======================================== Collaborators (incomplete list) =============================== H. Valladas, J-L. Reyss, G. Guérin (LSCE, France); C. Falguères, J-J. Bahain, S. Agsous, P. Voinchet (IPH, France); P. Guibert, C. Tribolo, Y. Lefrais (CRP2A, France), J-P. Texier, A. Lenoble, P. Bertrand, A. Delagnes, J. Jaubert, F. d’Errico (PACEA, France); J-L. Le Quellec (TRACES, France); D. Miallier (Univ. Clermont, France); G. Lopez, D. Moreno Garcia (CENIEH, Spain); G. Porraz, J. Parkington (Cap Town Univ., South Africa); H. Dibble (Univ. of Pennsylvania, USA); D. Sandgathe (Simon Fraser University, USA); R. Whallon (Univ. of Michigan, USA); P. Goldberg (Boston Univ, USA); S. McPherron (Max Planck Institute, Germany); C. Miller, N. Connard (Univ. Tübingen, Germany); W. J. Rink, M. Roksandic (Mac Master Univ., Canada); G. Adamiec (Silesian Univ. of Technology, Poland); D. Mihailović, Z. Rakočević, V. Dimitrijević (Univ. of Belgrade, Serbia); R. Barkai, A. Gopher, I. Hershkovitz (Tel-Aviv Univ., Israel); M; Evron (Haïfa Univ., Israel); M. Jain, K. Thomsen (DTU, Denmark); R. Grün, M. Duval (Griffith University, Australia) **Graduate Advisors and Postdoctoral Sponsors** Dr. Hélène Valladas (graduate advisor and postdoctoral sponsor; Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, UMR8212, Gif-sur-Yvette (France) Pr. Bernard Vandermeersch (graduate advisor) University of Bordeaux, Department of Anthropology (France). **Thesis Advisor** Current: Ms. Asmodée Galy (Advisor, University Bordeaux Montaigne &amp; University Pau -Pays de l’Adour) **Advisor past:** Mr Brice Lebrun : post-doc at University Aix-Marseille (France) Mr Loïc Martin : post-doc at LSCE (France) Ms. Marine Frouin : post-doc at Oxford University (UK) Mr. Guillaume Guérin: CNRS Research Fellow since 2013 (France) Ms. Chantal Tribolo : CNRS Research Fellow since 2008 (France) Ms. Céline Bassinet : IRSN Engineer since 2008 (France) Ms. Marion Hernandez : no information Mr. Mostafa Michab : professor in High School (Belgium) Ms. Elise Folz : CEA Engineer since 2001 (France)