I am an archaeology focused on the hominin behaviour and lithic technology of Lower Palaeolithic in the Iberian Peninsula and East Africa.

During my PhD I opened an unexplored line of research, involving archaeological surveys, geomorphological exploration, and excavations on new Lower Palaeolithic sites in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula.

Currently, I my research line is focused on the emergence of the Acheulean technology and Homo erectus in East Africa, led the research in sites such as Melka Kunture (Ethiopia).

Projects

Current projects or contracts

Name of the project:  Actuacións arqueolóxicas (escavacións en área e control de movemento de terras) no xacemento de Coto dos Mosquitos (Mos, Pontevedra).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: R. C. Celta de Vigo.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 20/01/2024 – 20/01/2026.
Total amount: 767,988.21€

Name of the project: Chronostratigraphy and environmental reconstruction of the Ethiopian Highlands during the Lower and Middle Pleistocene: the Melka Kunture sites (Upper Awash, Ethiopia) – CHROME. (INN-FUND-2024-MQE03).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo
Funding entity: Mapas Lab, UVigo.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 18/10/2024 – 25/11/2025.
Total amount: 19,500 €

Name of the project: Paleo en el Barrio: Ciencia de proximidad (3rd edition) (FECYT FCT-23-19134).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: MNNC-CSIC and Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: FECYT
Co-PI: A. Oliver, R. de Iriarte and T. Gallego.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 01/10/2024 – 30/09/2025
Total amount: 96,450 €.

Name of the project: La transición Olduvayense/Achelense en África oriental hace dos millones de años. El yacimiento de Gombore I (Melka Kunture, Etiopía) (12.CA).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Ministerio de Cultura de España. Ayudas y subvenciones para financiar excavaciones arqueológicas en el exterior.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 04/11/2024 – 25/11/2025
Total amount: 14,180 €

Name of the project: Late Oldowan and Early Acheulean in East Africa around 2 million years ago. The site of Gombore I (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia) (S202410523).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Leakey Foundation.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 16/10/2024 – 31/03/2025
Total amount: 16,106 $

Name of the project: Behavioral variability of Homo erectus during the Lower Pleistocene in the Ethiopian Plateau at Melka Kunture (4st season).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Funding entity: Fundación PALARQ.
PI: Panera Gallego, Joaquín.
Type of participation: Co-PI
Start-End date: 2024 – 2025
Total amount: 10,000 €

Name of the project: The socio-spatial behavior of early humans: understanding the evolution of early hominin social structure through the anthropogenic records of Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) (PID2023-146260NB-C21).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidad de Alcalá de Henares.
Funding entity: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.
PI: Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2024 – 2026
Total amount: 300,000 €

Name of the project: ERC Starting Grant: Mapping cradles and graves (H2020-ERC-2020-STG-947921).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: H2020-ERC-2020
PI: Varela González, Sara.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 01/06/2020- 30/11/2025
Total amount: 1,499,924 €.

Past projects or contracts
Name of the project: Actuación arqueolóxica se delimitación en sondaxe arqueolóxica no xacemento de Coto Dos Mosquitos (Mos, Pontevedra).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: R. C. Celta de Vigo.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2024.
Total amount: 71,204.10 €

Name of the project: PaleoOurense I (PALEOU_I). Los primeros pobladores de la provincial de Ourense: el yacimiento Paleolítico Medio de A Piteira (Toén, Ourense) (INOU23-04).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Deputación de Ourense.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2023.
Total amount: 7,375 €

Name of the project: The Early Acheulean (~2.0-1.7 million years ago) at Melka Kunture on the Ethiopian Highlands. Leakey Foundation. (42137).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Leakey Foundation.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2023.
Total amount: 11,342 $

Name of the project: Asesoramiento científico y estudio arqueológico de los yacimientos arqueológicos identificados durante a construcción da ciudad deportiva del R. C. Celta de Vigo en Mos (Pontevedra).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: R. C. Celta de Vigo.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2023.
Total amount: 15,000 €

Name of the project: Proxecto de 2º campaña de escavación arqueolóxica en área no xacemento
achelense das Gándaras de Budiño (O Porriño, Pontevedra) (CT 102A 2023/594-0).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Concello de O Porriño / CENIEH.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo; Santonja, Manuel.
Type of participation: Co-PI.
Start-End date: 2023.
Total amount: 8,147.00 €

Name of the project: Axudas para completar a etapa de formación posdoctoral nas universidades do Sistema universitario de Galicia, nos organismos públicos de investigación de Galicia e noutras entidades do Sistema de I+D+i galego. Convocatoria 2018 (ED481D-2022-023).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Universidad.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI (Self-funded salary+ project funds).
Start-End date: 2022 – 2024.
Total amount: 103,000.00 €

Name of the project: Ayudas para la consolidación y estructuración de unidades de investigación competitivas y otras acciones de fomento en las universidades del Sistema universitario de Galicia, en los organismos públicos de investigación de Galicia y en otras entidades del Sistema gallego de I+D+i. Convocatoria 2022 (ED431B 2022/09).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Consellería de Cultura, Educación, Formación Profesional e Universidades.
PI: Reboreda Morillo, Susana.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2022 – 2024.
Total amount: 120,000 €

Name of the project: Estudios de reconocimiento estratigráfico en el yacimiento paleolítico de Cuesta la
Bajada” (provincia de Teruel) (185/10/11/12/15/19/2022).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: CENIEH.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo; Santonja, Manuel.
Type of participation: Co-PI.
Start-End date: 2022.
Total amount: 3.060 €

Name of the project: Proxecto de escavación arqueolóxica en área no xacemento achelense das
Gándaras de Budiño (O Porriño, Pontevedra) (CT 102A 2022/555-0).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Concello de O Porriño / CENIEH.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo; Santonja, Manuel.
Type of participation: Co-PI.
Start-End date: 2022.
Total amount: 8,406.80 €

Name of the project: Exposición intinerante, O amencer da Humanidade: O primeiro poboamento de Galicia (7040/66).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Data Gestión Cultural S.L.
Funding entity: Secretaría Xeral de Política Lingüistica. Xunta de Galicia (Fondos Xacobeo 2021).
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2021.
Total amount: 15,000 €

Name of the project: I-Portunus. Mobility Scheme for Artists and/or Cultural Professionals.
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Goethe-Institut.
PI: Serodio Domínguez, Andrea.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2021.
Total amount: 1,820 €

Name of the project: Traballos de limpeza, restauración e documentación dos petróglifos da Laxe da Rotea de Mendo (Campo Lameiro, Pontevedra) (CT 102A 2021/776-0).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Ares, arqueología y gestion del patrimonio cultural.
Funding entity: Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria. Xunta de Galicia.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2021.
Total amount: 3,200 €

Name of the project: Behavioral variability of Homo erectus during the Lower Pleistocene in the Ethiopian Plateau at Melka Kunture (2st season).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: CENIEH.
Funding entity: Fundación PALARQ.
PI: Panera Gallego, Joaquín.
Type of participation: Co-PI
Start-End date: 2020- 2021
Total amount: 15,000 €

Name of the project: Sinalización do xacemento paleolítico de Porto Maior (As Neves, Pontevedra) (427/2021).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Data Gestión Cultural S.L.
Funding entity: Deputación de Pontevedra.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2020 – 2021.
Total amount: 4,354 €

Name of the project: Behavioral variability of Homo erectus during the Lower Pleistocene in the Ethiopian Plateau at Melka Kunture (3st season).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: CENIEH.
Funding entity: Fundación PALARQ.
PI: Panera Gallego, Joaquín.
Type of participation: Co-PI
Start-End date: 2021- 2022
Total amount: 15,000 €

Name of the project: Estudio fotogramétrico de paneles con grabados paleolíticos del yacimiento de Siega Verde (Salamanca) (124-IyD/SA-2021).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Data Gestión Cultural S.L.
Funding entity: Consejería de Cultura y Turismo. Junta de Castilla y León.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2021 – 2022.
Total amount: 14,132.00 €

Name of the project: Deseño e realización dunha ferramenta divulgativa dos petróglifos de A Coutada (As Neves, Pontevedra) mediante Realidade Aumentada (903/2020).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Data Gestión Cultural S.L.
Funding entity: Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria. Xunta de Galicia.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2020 – 2021.
Total amount: 12,000 €

Name of the project: Tradition, evolution, and coexistence in the Paleolithic technocomplexes of the Middle Pleistocene of the Iberian Peninsula (CEN154P20).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: CENIEH.
Funding entity: Junta de Castilla y León.
PI: Santonja, Manuel.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2020-2024.
Total amount: 264,000 €

Name of the project: Variability of human behavior during the Middle Pleistocene in Europe: coexistence of the Acheulean and Middle Paleolithic in the Iberian Peninsula (PGC2018-093612-B-I00).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: CENIEH.
Funding entity: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.
PI: Rubio Jara, Susana; Yravedra, José.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2019-2022.
Total amount: 60,500 €

Name of the project: Axudas de apoio á etapa de formación posdoutoral nas universidades do Sistema universitario de Galicia, nos organismos públicos de investigación de Galicia e noutras entidades do Sistema de I+D+i galego. Convocatoria 2018 (ED481B 2018/063).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Consellería de Cultura e Educación.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI (Self-funded salary).
Start-End date: 2019 – 2022.
Total amount: 126,630.00 €

Name of the project: Behavioral variability of Homo erectus during the Lower Pleistocene in the Ethiopian Plateau at Melka Kunture (1st season).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: CENIEH.
Funding entity: Fundación PALARQ.
PI: Panera Gallego, Joaquín.
Type of participation: Co-PI
Start-End date: 2019- 2020
Total amount: 15,000 €

Name of the project: Ayudas para la consolidación y estructuración de unidades de investigación competitivas y otras acciones de fomento en las universidades del Sistema universitario de Galicia, en los organismos públicos de investigación de Galicia y en otras entidades del Sistema gallego de I+D+i. Convocatoria 2019 (ED431B 2019/39).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Consellería de Educación, Universidades e Formación Profesional.
PI: Comendador Rey, Beatriz.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2019 – 2021.
Total amount: 90,000 €

Name of the project: El yacimiento de El Sotillo (Malagón, Ciudad Real), contexto del paleolítico en la cuenca del Guadiana (SBPLY/19/180801/000006).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: CENIEH.
Funding entity: Junta de Castilla-La Mancha.
PI: Santonja, Manuel.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2019.
Total amount: 14,844 €

Name of the project: Economía de materias primas, patrones de conducta y ocupación del territorio asociados al desarrollo tecnológico en la garganta de Olduvai (Tanzania) (HAR2017-82463-C4-2-P).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: CENIEH.
Funding entity: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.
PI: Santonja, Manuel; Panera Gallego, Joaquín.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2018-2021.
Total amount: 99,946 €

Name of the project: Trabajos de registro gráfico y musealización de la estación de petróglifos de A Coutada (As Neves, Pontevedra) (ED 102A 2018/626-0 / ED 102A 2018/691-0).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Data Gestión Cultural S.L.
Funding entity: Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria. Xunta de Galicia.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo.
Type of participation: PI.
Start-End date: 2018 – 2019.
Total amount: 22,991.20 €

Name of the project: IIº Campaña de excavación sistemática en el Locus I del yacimiento achelense de
Porto Maior (As Neves, Pontevedra) (ED 102A 2018/156-0).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria. Xunta de Galicia.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo; Santonja, Manuel.
Type of participation: Co-PI.
Start-End date: 2018.
Total amount: 8,923.75 €

Name of the project: El yacimiento de El Sotillo (Malagón, Ciudad Real), contexto del paleolítico en la cuenca del Guadiana (SBPLY/18/180801/000050).
Type of project: competitive concurrence.
Entity where the project took place: CENIEH.
Funding entity: Junta de Castilla-La Mancha.
PI: Santonja, Manuel.
Type of participation: Researcher.
Start-End date: 2018.
Total amount: 12,045.00 €

Name of the project: Evaluación geoarqueológica del yacimiento achelense de As Gándaras de Budiño
(O Porriño, Pontevedra): interpretación geoestratigráfica y geocronológica (ED 102A 2018/153-0).
Type of project: direct attribution.
Entity where the project took place: Universidade de Vigo.
Funding entity: Concello de O Porriño / CENIEH.
PI: Méndez-Quintas, Eduardo; Santonja, Manuel.
Type of participation: Co-PI.
Start-End date: 2018.
Total amount: 29.524,0 €