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Tjaša Tolar, PhD, Asst. prof.
Deputy Head, Research Associate

+386 1 47 06 456 (Ljubljana)

+386 1 320 73 65 (laboratorij Ig)

tjasa.tolar@zrc-sazu.si


Identifiers:
ORCID SICRIS

Dr. Tjaša Tolar is a Deputy Head of the Institute of Archaeology at ZRC SAZU and an archaeobotanist; she studies plant macroremains from archeological sites with a focus on the Ljubljansko barje. She collaborates with other sciences, such as palynology, archaeozoology, paleoecology, and ethnobotany. Since the 2025/2026 academic year, she has been the coordinator of a module at the ZRC SAZU Postgraduate School.


Dr. Tjaša Tolar is an archaeobotanist, she studies plant macroremains from archeological sites. Her main focus is on identifying charred remains of crops and gathert wild fruits/nuts, as well as charcoal. Rarely, but often archaeobotanical remains in Ljubljansko barje are preserved in a waterlogged state. They hold enormous research potential and enable the discovery of new knowledge about past vegetation, its changes over time, as well as the beginnings of agriculture. The pile-dwelling sites at Ljubljansko barje occupy a special place in archaeobotanical research in Slovenia. On the subject of fossilized, dog or human excrements (so-called coprolites) recently discovered at the Stare gmajne site.The interdisciplinary bilateral research project J7-2598, led by Tjaša Tolar, was completed in 2024. Archaeobotany can be perfectly combined with other sciences such as palynology, archaeozoology, paleoecology. Archaeobotanical discoveries often reveal the already forgotten knowledge of our ancestors who lived closely with nature thousands of years ago. Since 2023, Tjaša Tolar has been mentoring a PhD student Taja Skrt Kristan, who will try to identify changes in weed vegetation over time (i.e. ftom the Neolithic to the present day) and possible agricultural practices in the 4th Millenium BC.

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Education

  • B. Sc., Biology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, 2004
  • Ph. D, Biology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, 2011

Periods of stay abroad

Research interests

Dr. Tjaša Tolar is an archaeobotanist, she studies plant macroremains from archeological sites. Her main focus is on identifying charred remains of crops and gathert wild fruits/nuts, as well as charcoal. Rarely, but often archaeobotanical remains in Ljubljansko barje are preserved in a waterlogged state. They hold enormous research potential and enable the discovery of new knowledge about past vegetation, its changes over time, as well as the beginnings of agriculture. The pile-dwelling sites at Ljubljansko barje occupy a special place in archaeobotanical research in Slovenia. On the subject of fossilized, dog or human excrements (so-called coprolites) recently discovered at the Stare gmajne site.The interdisciplinary bilateral research project J7-2598, led by Tjaša Tolar, was completed in 2024. Archaeobotany can be perfectly combined with other sciences such as palynology, archaeozoology, paleoecology. Archaeobotanical discoveries often reveal the already forgotten knowledge of our ancestors who lived closely with nature thousands of years ago. Since 2023, Tjaša Tolar has been mentoring a PhD student Taja Skrt Kristan, who will try to identify changes in weed vegetation over time (i.e. ftom the Neolithic to the present day) and possible agricultural practices in the 4th Millenium BC.

Main research topics

  • Archaeobotany at Slovenian archaeological sites
  • Archaeobotanical database for Slovenian archaeological sites
  • Charcoal analyses and dendrochronology
  • Archaeobotany at pile-dwelling sites
  • Interdisciplinary investigation of coprolites
  • Textile and fiber plants in the past
  • Ethnobotany
  • Experimental archaeobotany

Colaboration

  • Archaeological excavations in the Ljubljana city. Projects of the city of Ljubljana
  • Archaeobotanical analyses at archaeological sites in Slovenia, excavated as part of the excavations of the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Slovenia. State projects
  • TOLAR, Tjaša, MATIKA; Dolores, Archaeobotanical analysis of the judgement samples from research of Stare gmajne, an Eneolithic pile-dwelling site: mosses, vessel contents and the analysis of the wooden artefacts / Arheobotanična analiza po presoji odvzetih vzorcev z eneolitskega kolišča Stare gmajne: mah, polnila posod in leseni artefakti. − Arheološki vestnik 75, 2024, 411–440.
  • TOLAR, Tjaša, MASON, Phil, KRAMBERGER, Bine, Prehistoric to Medieval woodland management and agriculture in the westernmost Carpathian Basin and the surrounding northern Dinaric Karst : a case study of archaeobotanical analyses from the multiperiod site at the Obrežje international border crossing. – V / In: FUERST-BJELIŠ, Borna et al. (ur. / eds.), Environmental histories of the Dinaric Karst, Environmental history 17, 2024, 51−80. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-56089-7_3
  • VELUŠČEK, A., HORJAK ŠUŠTARŠIČ, M., TOLAR, T., TOŠKAN, B., MERELA, M., ČUFAR, K. 2023, Verd – novoodkrito kolišče iz 5. tisočletja pr. Kr. na Ljubljanskem barju /Verd – newly discovered pile-dwelling from the 5th millennium BC in Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia. − Les/Wood, 72(2), 18−36. https://doi.org/10.26614/les-wood.2023.v72n02a01.
  • TOŠKAN, Borut, KOVAČ, Mateja, TOLAR, Tjaša 2022, Bioarheološke raziskave rimskodobnega grobišča Marof na Igu: antropologija, arheozoologija, arheobotanika / Bioarchaeological investigations of the Roman cemetery in Marof at Ig (Slovenia): anthropological, archaeozoological and archaeobotanical evidence. − Arheološki vestnik 73, 281−312; https://doi.org/10.3986/AV.73.08.
  • TOLAR, Tjaša, PAVLIN, Primož 2022, The earliest finds of millet and possible associated changes in material culture in Slovenia. − In: KIRLEIS, Wiebke (ed.), DAL CORSO, Marta (ed.), FILIPOVIĆ, Dragana (ed.). Millet and what else? : the wider context of the adoption of millet cultivation in Europe. Leiden, 107−126.
  • TOLAR, Tjaša, GALIK, Alfred, LE BAILLY, Matthieu, DUFOUR, Benjamin, CAF, Nina, TOŠKAN, Borut, BUŽAN, Elena, ZVER, Lars, JANŽEKOVIČ, Franc, VELUŠČEK, Anton 2021. Multi-proxy analysis of waterlogged preserved Late Neolithic canine excrements. − Vegetation history and archaeobotany 30, no. 3, 2021, 107−118. DOI: 10.1007/s00334-020-00805-y.
  • TOLAR, Tjaša, VOVK, Irena, JUG, Urška 2021. The use of Cornus sanguinea L. (dogwood) fruits in the Late Neolithic. Vegetation history and archaeobotany. [Print ed.]. 2021, vol. 30, no. 3, str. 347-361, ilustr., zvd. ISSN 0939-6314. DOI: 10.1007/s00334-020-00788-w.
  • FILIPOVIĆ, Dragana M., MEADOWS, John, DAL CORSO, Marta, KIRLEIS, Wiebke, ALSLEBEN, Almuth, AKERET, Örni, BITTMANN, Felix, BOSI, Giovanna, CIUTǍ, Beatrice, DRESLEROVÁ, Dagmar, EFFENBERGER, Henrike, GYULAI, Ferenc, HEISS, Andreas G., HELLMUND, Monika, JAHNS, Susanne, JAKOBITSCH, Thorsten, KAPCIA, Magda, KLOOSS, Stefanie, KOHLER-SCHNEIDER, Marianne, KROLL, Helmut, MAKAROWICZ, Przemysław, MARINOVA, Elena, MÄRKLE, Tanja, MEDOVIĆ, Aleksandar, MERCURI, Anna Maria, MUELLER-BIENIEK, Aldona, NISBET, Renato, PASHKEVICH, Galina, PEREGO, Renata, POKORNÝ, Petr, POSPIESZNY, Łukasz, PRZYBYŁA, Marcin S., REED, Kelly, RENNWANZ, Joanna, STIKA, Hans-Peter, STOBBE, Astrid, TOLAR, Tjaša, WASYLIKOWA, Krystyna, WIETHOLD, Julian, ZERL, Tanja 2020. New AMS 14C dates track the arrival and spread of broomcorn millet cultivation and agricultural change in prehistoric Europe. Scientific reports. 2020, vol. 10, art. no. 13698, str. 1-17. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70495-z
  • VELUŠČEK Anton, PODPEČAN Blaž, TOLAR Tjaša, TOŠKAN Borut, TURK Janez, MARELA Maks, ČUFAR Katarina 2018, Črnelnik in Devce, novoodkriti najdišči iz bakrene dobe na Ljubljanskem barju / Črnelnik and Devce, Newly discovered Copper Age sites at Ljubljansko barje. − Arheološki vestnik 69, 2018, 9−68.
  • TOLAR, Tjaša 2018, Primerjava različnih metod vzorčenja in priprave arheobotaničnih vzorcev z eneolitskih kolišč Strojanova voda in Maharski prekop na Ljubljanskem barju / Comparison of different sampling and treatment methods in order to reconstruct plant economies at the Eneolithic pile-dwellings of Strojanova voda and Maharski prekop at Ljubljansko barje. − Arheološki vestnik 69, 2018, 461−498.
  • ANDRIČ, Maja, TOLAR, Tjaša, TOŠKAN, Borut 2016. Okoljska arheologija in paleoekologija: palinologija, arheobotanika in arheozoologija. 1. izd. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU, 2016. ISBN 978-961-254-872-8. [COBISS.SI-ID 283335936]
  • TOLAR, Tjaša, JACOMET, Stefanie, VELUŠČEK, Anton 2016. Cereal chaff used as temper in loom-weights : new evidence from a Slovenian Eneolithic pile-dwelling site (ca. 3100 cal BC. Vegetation history and archaeobotany (2016) 25: 291–301.
  • TOLAR, Tjaša, JACOMET, Stefanie, VELUŠČEK, Anton, ČUFAR, Katarina 2011. Plant economy at a late Neolithic lake dwelling site in Slovenia at the time of the Alpine Iceman. – Veg. Hist. Archaeobot. 20/3, 2011, 207–222.
  • ČUFAR, Katarina, KROMER, Bernd, TOLAR, Tjaša, VELUŠČEK, Anton 2010. Dating of 4th millennium BC pile–dwellings on Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia. – J. archaeol. sci. 37, 2010, 2031–2039.
  • TOLAR, Tjaša, JACOMET, Stefanie, VELUŠČEK, Anton, ČUFAR, Katarina 2010. Recovery techniques for waterlogged archaeological sediments: a comparison of different treatment methods for samples from Neolithic lake shore settlements. – Veg. hist. Archaeobot. 19/1, 2010, 53–67.
Teaching
  • since the 2025/2026 academic year coordinator of module Archaeology between the Adriatic and the Danube at Podiplomska šola ZRC SAZU
  • since the 2023/2024 academic year course principal of Archaeobotany at Podiplomska šola ZRC SAZU
  • lectures in the 3rd year of undergraduate study of Archaeology within the course Environmental Archaeology (led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Maja Andrič), University of Ljubljana
  • invited lectures to undergraduate study of Paleoecology (led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Borut Toškan), University of Primorska
  • since the 2018/2019 academic year Assit. Prof. for archaeological natural sciences at University of Ljubljana
Awards and recognitions
  • Recognition of the Slovenian Archeology Society for the year 2017 for the scientific monograph Okoljska arheologija in paleoekologija. Palinologija, arheobotanika in arheozoologija (Environmental archaeology and palaeoecology. Palynology, archaeobotany and archaeozoology; only in Slovenian) (2016)
  • An exceptional scientific achievement for the article: Arheobotanične raziskave na kolišču Stare gmajne, datiranem na osnovi raziskav lesa / Archaeobotanical investigations at the pile-dwelling site Stare gmajne, dated on the basis of wood investigations (2012)
  • Ad-Futura scholarship (27th August 2007 to 27th December 2007)
Section
Archaeobotany
Links
Archaeobotany
ORCID: 0000-0003-2044-1025
Sicris