Iris Ophelia Nießen

Iris Ophelia Nießen

Research Fellow

Vice-Rector for Excellence Development: Research and Transfer
INTERIM-Staatsanwalts.LPZ
Straße des 17. Juni 2, Room 2. OG
04107 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97-30345

Abstract

As a medieval archaeologist with a focus on urban core archaeology, I conduct research on the development of urban floodplains (Nießen 2022; 2020) and their use for port infrastructure (Nießen/Wollenberg 2019). This focus originated within the DFG-SPP 1630 subproject "Inland Ports" (Wollenberg et al. 2019) at the FSU Jena. This project provided the framework for my dissertation on the urban floodplain development of the medieval city of Regensburg using an environmental archaeological research approach (Nießen, in press). Work in the DFG project "Das Haus der Stadt vor 1300" deepened the interdisciplinary urban research (Nießen/Perlich 2021). Other research fields include archaeologically tangible wolf hunting (Nießen 2022), field names, building research, and medieval beliefs (Nießen 2017). I am currently doing postdoctoral research on the Historical Anthroposphere in the LeipzigLab (funding program for excellent research fields).


Professional career

  • since 01/2023
    Research assistant in the Historic Anthropospheres working group in the LeipzigLab of the University of Leipzig
  • 04/2021 - 03/2023
    Research assistant at the Seminar for Prehistory and Protohistoric Archeology at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena
  • 06/2022 - 11/2022
    Full-time scholarship for female postdocs at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (scholarship program to promote the development of an academic profile for young female researchers with a very good doctorate)
  • 01/2022 - 12/2022
    Fellowship ImpulseProject of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (program line for young scientists)
  • 05/2020 - 05/2022
    Research assistant in the DFG project "The city house before 1300"; Institute for Architecture, Department of Building and Urban Development History, Technical University of Berlin
  • 07/2013 - 05/2015
    Scientific management of the Wolfsgarten research project (planning, archaeological excavation, evaluation, tourist development) - funded by the EU program LEADER

Education

  • 05/2017 - 04/2020
    Doctoral scholarship holder of the Gerda Henkel Foundation
  • 01/2016 - 02/2021
    Doctorate (Dr. phil.) at the Seminar for Prehistory and Protohistoric Archeology at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Inclusion in the DFG priority program 1630, sub-project "Inland ports as hubs of European communication networks (FSU Jena).
  • 10/2011 - 09/2014
    Master's degree in "Medieval and Modern Archeology" at the Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg; Master of Arts degree.Title of the master's thesis: "Construction Sacrifice" of the Cathedral of Chur, Canton Graubünden (CH). Finds from buildings of the Middle Ages and the modern times
  • 10/2008 - 09/2011
    Bachelor's degree in "Archaeology" at the Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg; Bachelor of Arts degree.Title of the bachelor thesis: A late medieval wolf pit andits later use as a charcoal kiln in Steinwald, district of Tirschenreuth.

Research Focus

  • Medieval and modern archeology with a focus on the human-environment relationship
  • Environmental and Geoarchaeology
  • City Archeology Regensburg
  • "Construction victims" and other "magical" objects from secular and sacred buildings
  • Archaeological evidence of historical wolf hunting


  • Nießen, I. O.
    Tagungsbericht: Wasser- und Flussbau im Oberrheingebiet vom späten Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart (2023)
    show details
  • Nießen, I. O.
    Von Rotkäppchen und dem Bösen Wolf. Archäologische Zeugnisse zur Wolfsjagd in Mittelalter und Neuzeit
    Tiere in Stadt und Land (und Kloster),. 2022. pp. 37–48.
    show details
  • Nießen, I. O.
    DONAU–UFER–REGENSBURG. Genese einer Ufersiedlung zum mittelalterlichen Stadtquartier. Die Ausgrabungen am Regensburger Donaumarkt / „Museum der Bayerischen Geschichte“ 2009–10 und 2012–15
    Regensburg: 2023.
    show details

more publications

  • Andere Stipendien/Forschungspreise: Kurt-Bittel Preis für Süddeutsche Altertumskunde
    Nießen, Iris Ophelia (Prorektor für Exzellenzentwicklung)
    awarded in 2023 by Stadt Heidenheim.
    show details
  • Andere Stipendien/Forschungspreise: Johanna-Mestorf Preis für Landschaftsarchäologie und Mensch-Umwelt Beziehungen
    Nießen, Iris Ophelia (Prorektor für Exzellenzentwicklung)
    awarded in 2023 by Universität Kiel.
    show details

more awards

Lecturer at the Friedrich-Schiller University Jena and the Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg on topics of early history and medieval and modern archeology.

  • Lecture Introduction to Early History (Archaeology)

    Winter semester 2021/2022 and 2022/2023

  • Introductory seminar Sources and methods of prehistoric and early historical archaeology

    Winter semester 2021/2022 and 2022/2023

  • Seminar on Christianization in early history with a focus on burials

    Summer semester 2022

  • Head of the "Hofer Bron" educational excavation in the Black Forest (Baden-Württemberg)

    Summer semester 2022

  • Seminar Central Places and Early Cities

    Summer semester 2021

  • Seminar Current archaeological research on urban housing

    Summer semester 2021

  • Proseminar Death and Burial in the Middle Ages and Modern Times

    Winter semester 2015/2016

  • Head of the Wolfsgarten educational excavation project

    Summer semester 2013 and summer semester 2014