Cecilia Conati Barbaro is an Associate Professor of Prehistoric Ecology at the Department of Archaeological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome. Her research primarily focuses on environmental archaeology, with a particular interest in the transition from foraging to farming. She has a strong emphasis on lithic technology and the exploitation and circulation of lithic raw materials. Her extensive fieldwork spans excavations and surveys in Iraqi Kurdistan, Italy, Libya, and Jordan, where she has served as project director or co-director. She has successfully led numerous research projects funded by the Italian Ministry of University (MIUR), the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the University of Rome, and various other international institutions. Additionally, she teaches Public Archaeology and has a keen interest in museum studies and the communication of archaeological heritage.