Nina Caf is a palynologist and geologist whose main focus is studying (palaeo)environmental changes in the late Quaternary. During her PhD, she focused on understanding environmental changes in the Julian Alps using lake sediments. After completing her PhD, her research expanded to other regions in Slovenia, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary work. She is currently leading a postdoctoral project aimed at understanding the sedimentary environment of Ljubljansko barje, with a focus on reconstructing sedimentary dynamics during the period of the pile-dwellers.
Research interests
Education
- B. Sc. in geology, 2015, Naravoslovnotehniška fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani
- M. Sc. in paleobiology, 2017, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University
- Ph. D. 2023, Podiplomska šola ZRC SAZU
Research interests
- palaeoecology
- palynology
- sedimentology
Selected publications
- CAF N., ANDRIČ M., DAKSKOBLER I., MERELA M. 2025, Nekdanje in današnje rastje v Julijskih Alpah: pregled palinoloških, fitocenoloških in dendrokronoloških raziskav. – In: Kofol K. (ed.) V objemu gozdov: gospodarjenje z gozdovi Zgornjega Posočja. Tolmin: Tolminski muzej, 9–29.
- CAF, Nina, Srednja vas v Bohinju – Palaeoenvironmental Recordof Human Influence on the Lowlands of the Julian Alps (Srednja vas v Bohinju – paleookoljski zapisvpliva človeka na nižine Julijskih Alp). − Arheološki vestnik 76, 2025, 239−259. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AV.76.03
- CAF, Nina, SABATIER, Pierre, CUCINOTTA, Julia, RAPUC, William, DOLENEC, Matej, ŠMUC, Andrej 2025, Holocene human impact on different altitudinal belts in Julian Alps, Slovenia. − The Holocene 35/4, 2025, 446−459. DOI: 10.1177/09596836241307300
- CAF, Nina, SABATIER, Pierre, ŠMUC, Andrej, OGRINC, Nives, DOLENEC, Matej, RAPUC, William, POTOČNIK, Doris, GRAFENSTEIN, Ulrich von, ANDRIČ, Maja. Multi-proxy reconstruction of the Holocene vegetation and land use dynamics in the Julian Alps, north-west Slovenia. Journal of quaternary science 38/1, 2023, 107–122. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jqs.3461.
- TOLAR, Tjaša (avtor, prevajalec), CAF, Nina, LE BAILLY, Matthieu. The dog or its master? : interdisciplinary study on coprolite from the Pile-Dwelling Site Stare Gmajne. V: KOPRIVNIK, Vesna (ur.), SALECL, Dunja (ur.). Srečanja tisočletij = The convergence of millennia : Museoeurope : the collected volume of the symposium 19.-21. 10. 2023 : [= Zbornik mednarodnega simpozija 19.–21. 10. 2023]. Maribor: Pokrajinski muzej: = Regional Museum, 2023. Str. 78-91, ilustr. Zbirka Museoeurope, 8. ISBN 978-961-94532-7-8. https://museum-mb.si/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MuseoEurope_2023.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 171767555]
- TOLAR Tjaša, GALIK Alfred, LE BAILLY Matthieu, DUFOUR Benjamin, CAF Nina, TOŠKAN Borut, BUŽAN Elena, ZVER Lars, JANŽEKOVIČ Franc, VELUŠČEK Anton, Multi‑proxy analysis of waterlogged preserved Late Neolithic canine excrements. − Vegetation History and Archaeobotany (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-020-00805-y).
Selected projects
- PROGRAMME: Archaeological research (2022−2027) (research programme • January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2027)
- Open Palaeoecological Data – analysing the past building foresight (OC-2023-1-26573) (October 16, 2024 - October 15, 2028)
- IQ: Ironing out complexities (June 1, 2025 - May 31, 2028)
- Sedimentary environment of Ljubljansko barje in the period of pile dwellers (postdoctoral research project • March 1, 2026 - February 29, 2028)
- Bridging the GAP between Geological, Archaeological and Palynological studies (interdisciplinary project • January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2027)
- Advanced digital methods in archaeology (bilateral project • January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024)
- Dog or its master ? The scientific study of human or canine coprolites from the prehistoric pile-dwelling site of Stare gmajne, Slovenia (November 1, 2020 - October 31, 2024)
- Spatial and environmental reconstruction of medieval landscape: Herzegovina case study medieval BiH (fundamental research project • October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2024)
- 5000 years of grazing and mining activities in the Julian Alps (Slovenia): climate-human interactions as reflected in lake sediments, man-modified landscape and archaeological findings (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022)
Section
Palynology