An archaeologist and prehistorian, Marie Besse is a specialist in prehistory in general and the Neolithic period in particular. Holding a master’s degree and a doctorate in prehistoric archaeology from the University of Geneva, Professor Marie Besse conducts interdisciplinary research to understand the functioning of early agro-pastoral societies and the Bronze Age. She pursued post-graduate training at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany to specialize in the late Neolithic period in Europe. During her doctoral research, she focused on Bell Beaker pottery, a major culture of European Neolithic during the third millennium BCE. Her postdoctoral research expanded to other Bell Beaker remains, such as bio-anthropological findings and the emerging metallurgy of copper. Before joining the University of Geneva in 2005, she held a position as an SNSF-funded professor at the University of Neuchâtel.

The archaeological excavations she leads have uncovered previously unknown data, notably at the Dersbachstrasse site in Zug—a Neolithic lakeshore settlement; at Petit-Chasseur in Sion—a Neolithic village dating back to around 4000 BCE; at a Bronze Age burial cave in the Piedmont region of Italy from around 1600 BCE; and at sites in the canton of Geneva that include several prehistoric occupations. These excavations also provide Marie Besse with the opportunity to train students in archaeological fieldwork, a meticulous and demanding endeavor to which she is deeply committed.

Marie Besse’s career is defined by a strongly interdisciplinary approach, combining archaeology, prehistory, geology, ethnology, bio-anthropology, biology, chemistry, and physics.

Her research is rooted in a profound reflection on both the present and the past, enabling her to continually renew her research topics concerning societal functioning and to inform her perspective on today’s world. Recognized internationally for her expertise and research, Marie Besse has received numerous awards and was appointed full professor in November 2024.