I am a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Bergen SFF Centre for Early Sapiens (SapienCE) in Bergen, Norway. Within the larger field of prehistoric Archaeology, I specialize in researching mineral pigments and human behaviour, rock art, and archaeometry. My current research focuses on the ochre assemblage from the Middle Stone Age of Blombos Cave, South Africa, and how ochre and pigments can inform us on the earliest forms of symbolic expression and the implications for the emergence of behavioural modernity. I am particularly interested in the acquisition and use of mineral pigments, not only from the traditional perspective of qualitative artefact categorization but within a framework of interdisciplinary and comprehensive field and laboratory analyses. This framework views mineral pigments from different angles by combining theory and methods from fields such as geology and geomorphology, anthropology and ethnography, experimental archaeology and archaeometry to explore the nuances and depth of ancient pigment-related behaviours.

During the last 10 years, I have worked on ochre-related projects from the European Upper Palaeolithic (specifically southwestern Germany), the South African MSA, the late MSA/LSA transition in eSwatini, and Holocene hunter-gatherers in British Columbia, Canada. I have worked on general archaeological field projects in the USA, Canada, Germany, Norway, Oman, Israel, South Africa and eSwatini. 

2024

• Ewa Dutkiewicz; Sibylle Wolf; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky et al. (2024). Constructing Identity: Body Decoration and Modification in the Swabian Aurignacian. (external link)
• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Tammy Hodgskiss; Larissa Straffon et al. (2024). The Framework for Ochre Experiences (Foes) : Towards a Transdisciplinary Perspective on the Earth Material Heritage of Ochre. (external link)
• Jasmin Culey; Francesco d'Errico; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky et al. (2024). Shifting perspectives: theoretical and analytical trends in Middle Stone Age ochre studies. (external link)
• Brandi Lee MacDonald; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Bob Forrester et al. (2024). Ochre communities of practice in Stone Age Eswatini. (external link)

2022

• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky (2022). Current perspectives on ochre behaviors in the LSA of eSwatini. (external link)
• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Nicholas j. Conard (2022). Ochre and pigment behaivours throughout the Upper Palaeolithic (ca. 43.5-12.5 kya) in the Swabian Jura of Southwestern Germany. (external link)
• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Magnus Mathisen Haaland; Susan M. Mentzer et al. (2022). New insights into ochre features and their associated behaviours from the Howieson’s Poort layers at Klipdrift Shelter. (external link)
• Silje Evjenth Bentsen; Magnus Mathisen Haaland; Jovana Milic et al. (2022). Pilot fires: Preliminary Report from Interdisciplinary Actualistic Fire Experiments. (external link)

2019

• Elizabeth Velliky; Alvise Barbieri; Martin Porr et al. (2019). A preliminary study on ochre sources in Southwestern Germany and its potential for ochre provenance during the Upper Paleolithic. (external link)
• Elizabeth Velliky; Nicholas j. Conard (2019). Pigments and people in a changing landscape: Investigating ochre behaviors in Southwestern Germany during the Upper Paleolithic (ca. 44-12.5 kcal BP). (external link)

2021

• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Francesco d'Errico (2021). The ochre workshop: past and present-day perspectives on colour and human behaviour. (external link)
• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Tammy Hodgskiss; Magnus Mathisen Haaland (2021). The MAMOR Database: Measuring Anthropogenic Markings on 3D Ochre Surface Renderings. (external link)
• Magnus Mathisen Haaland; Susan M Mentzer; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky et al. (2021). Characterizing microscopic ochre fragments at Middle Stone Age sites: Implications for evaluating in-situ ochre processing and use. (external link)
• Magnus Mathisen Haaland; Susan M Mentzer; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky et al. (2021). Characterizing microscopic ochre fragments at Middle Stone Age sites: implications for evaluating prehistoric ochre use and deposition. (external link)
• Geir Harald Samuelsen; Elin T. Sørensen; Eamon O'Kane et al. (2021). The Palimpsest. (external link)
• Brandi lee Macdonald; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Jörg Linstädter et al. (2021). Ochre Provenance in Eswatini: Geochemical Insights on MSA/LSA Ochre Procurement. (external link)
• Elizabeth Velliky; Patrick Schmidt; Bellot-Gurlet Ludovic et al. (2021). Early anthropogenic use of hematite on Aurignacian ivory personal ornaments from Hohle Fels and Vogelherd caves, Germany. (external link)
• Gregor Bader; Bob Forrester; Lisa Ehlers et al. (2021). The Forgotten Kingdom: New investigations in the prehistory of Eswatini. (external link)
• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Brandi lee Macdonald; Jörg Linstädter et al. (2021). Archaeological, archaeometric and ethnographic perspectives on ochre behaviours in Eswatini. (external link)
• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Tammy Hodgskiss; Larissa Mendoza Straffon et al. (2021). Ochre Across Deep Time: A conversation exploring ochre's enduring role in human behavior and evolution, and in protecting Earth-systems knowledge. (external link)

2025

• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Francesco d'Errico; Karen Loise van Niekerk et al. (2025). Unveiling the multifunctional use of ochre in the Middle Stone Age: Specialized ochre retouchers from Blombos Cave. (external link)

2018

• Elizabeth Velliky; Martin Porr; Nicholas j. Conard (2018). Ochre and pigment use at Hohle Fels cave: Results of the first systematic review of ochre and ochre-related artefacts from the Upper Palaeolithic in Germany. (external link)
• Elizabeth Velliky; Nicholas j. Conard; Rimtautas Dapschauskas et al. (2018). The use of ochre and painting during the Upper Paleolithic of the Swabian Jura in the context of the development of ochre use in Africa and Europe. (external link)
• Elizabeth Velliky (2018). Identifying diachronic changes in ochre behaviours throughout the Upper Palaeolithic (ca. 40-12.5kya) of Southwestern Germany. (external link)
• Elizabeth Velliky (2018). The selection and exploitation of ancient pigments: Identifying diachronic trends in ochre use through NAA at Hohle Fels Cave, Germany. (external link)

2023

• Sara Rhodes; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Gregor Bader (2023). Clearing the brush of time: a re-examination of the Dikbosch 1 rockshelter legacy material and the Later Stone Age of the interior of South Africa. (external link)
• Geir Harald Samuelsen; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Marte Johnslien et al. (2023). Resisting Nature. (external link)
• Jasmin Oliviah Culey; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky (2023). The Ochre Workshop: Exploring the origins of ochre surfaces at Blombos Cave. (external link)
• Brandi lee Macdonald; Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; Jörg Lindstädter et al. (2023). Mineral pigment provisioning and rock art in Stone Age Eswatini. (external link)

2020

• Elizabeth Velliky (2020). The past wasn’t black & white: the role of colour in the story of humans. (external link)
• Elizabeth Velliky; Brandi lee Macdonald; Martin Porr et al. (2020). First large-scale provenance study of pigments reveals new complex behavioural patterns during the Upper Palaeolithic of southwestern Germany. (external link)
• Elizabeth Velliky (2020). When Homo sapiens became like us: The Origins of Symbolism and how we define Modern Human Behaviour. (external link)
• Elizabeth Catherine Velliky; B.L. MacDonald; M. Porr et al. (2020). First large-scale provenance study of pigments reveals new complex behavioural patterns during the Upper Palaeolithic of south-western Germany. (external link)
• Magnus Mathisen Haaland; André M. Strauss; Elizabeth Velliky et al. (2020). Hidden in plain sight: A microanalytical study of a Middle Stone Age ochre piece trapped inside a micromorphological block sample. (external link)

2017

• Elizabeth Velliky (2017). Rötel- und Ockerartefakte aus dem Hohle Fels: Farbpigmente und Kunst von der Schwäbischen Alb. (external link)
• Elizabeth Velliky; Andrew Kandel; Fotios Alexandros Karakostis (2017). Sixth annual meeting of the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Velliky, E.C., A. Barbieri, M. Porr, N.J. Conard, B.L. MacDonald (2019) A preliminary study on ochre sources in Southwestern Germany and its potential for ochre provenance during the Upper Paleolithic. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 27:101977.

Floss, H., R. Blumentritt, Ch. Hoyer, N. Huber, E.C. Velliky, N.J. Conard (2018): Palaeolithic Cave Art in the Swabian Jura? In: Floss, H. and Pastoors, A. (Eds.) 2018: Palaeolithic rock and cave art in Central Europe ? Session 31 of the XIX International Rock Art Conference IFRAO 2015 „Symbols in the Landscape: Rock Art and its Context“ Cáceres (Spain) 31.08 – 04.09.2015, Verlag Marie Leidorf (Rahden/Westf. 2018), p. 107-122.

Velliky, E.C., M. Porr and N.J. Conard (2018) Ochre and pigment use at Hohle Fels cave: Results of the first systematic review of ochre and ochre-related artefacts from the Upper Palaeolithic in Germany. PLOS ONE 13(12):e0209874.

Wolf, S., R. Dapschauskas, E.C. Velliky, N.J. Conard, H. Floss, & A.W. Kandel (2018) The Use of Ochre and Painting During the Upper Paleolithic of the Swabian Jura in the Context of the Development of Ochre Use in Africa and Europe. Open Archaeology 4(1), 185-205.

Karakostis, Fotios Alexandros, Elizabeth C. Velliky and Andrew W. Kandel (2017) Sixth annual meeting of the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews 26(1):7-8.

Velliky, Elizabeth (2016) Identifying anthropogenic modification on archaeology ochre materials by early hominin populations. SAS Bulletin, 39(2):4-6.

Velliky, Elizabeth and Rudy Reimer (2013) Rock Paintings of Squamish Valley, British Columbia: Geochemical Analysis of Pigments Using Portable ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (pXRF). American Indian Rock Art 39:130-141.