Bio

Brunella Muttillo is a prehistoric archaeologist whose research advances understanding of early human cultural and technological evolution through multidisciplinary studies of Paleolithic material culture. She has developed a solid research portfolio in Italy, investigating lithic technology and human occupations during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic.

In Colombia, she directs the Italian Archaeological Mission, leading pioneering research on the earliest human settlement of South America. Her work in the region has earned her several awards and recognitions for scientific excellence. She has a strong record of publications in leading peer-reviewed journals and collaborates with international and interdisciplinary research teams. Committed to fostering innovation and critical thinking, she is also actively engaged in the public communication and preservation of prehistoric heritage.

Dr. Muttillo is collaborating with Kurt Rademaker in a systematic re-evaluation of lithic artifacts and faunal remains from some of the oldest archaeological sites in Colombia. These include early sites in the Sabana de Bogota and Magdalena valley. The objectives of this research are to construct reliable radiocarbon chronologies, to better understand behavioral patterns of some of the first people to live in Colombia, and to evaluate possible associations between humans and extinct Pleistocene megafauna.