Our researcher Katarína Adameková has been awarded the prestigious Otto Wichterle Prize, which the Czech Academy of Sciences bestows upon young scientific talents.
On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, another 23 young scientists from various fields across the Czech Academy of Sciences joined the ranks of previous laureates. We are delighted that this prestigious award is also heading to the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno.
“Emerging scientific talents need significant support and opportunities for further development in the early stages of their careers. Many recipients of the Wichterle Prize from previous years are now recognized experts who are pushing the boundaries of their fields. This year’s laureates also have what it takes to build on their predecessors’ successes and become leading figures in Czech science,” says Radomír Pánek, President of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Mgr. et Mgr. Katarína Adameková, Ph.D.
The soil can tell stories dating back thousands of years—Katarína Adameková reads the traces it holds, which reveal the lives of our ancestors and the changes in the landscape. She specializes in geoarchaeology and studies soil and sediments under a microscope, treating them as a natural archive of the past. Using modern analytical methods, she reconstructs the evolution of the landscape from prehistory to the Middle Ages. A graduate of Masaryk University, Katarína is currently based at the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno. She gained extensive international experience through research stays in Belgium, France, Italy, Uzbekistan, and at the Czech research station in Antarctica. This year, she was awarded the prestigious JUNIOR STAR grant for early-career researchers. In the Flames of the Past project, she investigates prehistoric hearths to understand the daily lives and environments of ancient communities. Katarína Adameková has also been long involved in international research collaborations across various regions. Through this work, she advances the application of natural science methods in archaeology and strengthens international cooperation in the field.
Learn more about the award on the website of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
