Education & Research Background
Lucía Gutiérrez (b. 1994) is an archaeologist from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), where she is currently completing her Ph.D., funded by the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and UBA. Her undergraduate thesis focused on the rock art of SW Chubut, in the central Patagonian region, an area inhabited since the Early Holocene.
Doctoral Research
Her research focuses on the production, management, and use of pigments, not only in rock art contexts but also in other materialities, present in the previously mentioned area. She employs analytical chemistry techniques, such as Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy to understand the chemical and physical properties of these pigments, and thus delve into their cultural and social importance for past human groups.
Training & International Research Experience
Her research has also benefited from international collaborations and specialized training, supported by scholarships from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec (Bourses d’excellence pour étudiants étrangers, PBEEE); the Government of Canada (Education Canada, Emerging Leaders in the Americas Scholarship) and Mitacs Globalink. She has also received the Student Research Award (PhD category) from the American Rock Art Research Association. These opportunities have provided access to advanced research facilities and resources, ensuring the continuity and advancement of her doctoral studies. This represents an important milestone, given that conducting research in Argentina presents significant challenges due to budget cuts and financial constraints, which are severely impacting academia and scientific institutions, along with the broader population
Interests
Her academic interests include archaeological science, hunter-gatherer archaeology, and rock art. Beyond her research, she and her team (@arqueologia.so.chubut) actively engage in outreach activities with the local community in her study area, fostering a participatory, accessible, and inclusive approach to archaeology for everyone.