Objective Each of today s major food species is distributed worldwide. While much of that food globalisation has resulted from modern trade networks, it has its roots in prehistory. By the end of the second millennium BC, the south west Asian crops, wheat and barley, were in several parts of China, and Chinese millets and buckwheat were in Europe. There was a parallel exchange of crops between South Asia and Africa. A series of later episodes of globalisation involve exotic fruits, vegetables and flavourings. This earlier phase would appear to involve instead staple starchy crops. Moreover, the movement of these starchy crops seems to precede other forms of evidence for cross-continental contact, such as is reflected in artefacts. What prompted this early globalisation of starch crops? How did it relate to the way in which humans societies were changing, and to the development and evolution of the crops themselves? These are questions I shall address through an archaeogenetic approach, which will modern methods of bio-archaeology and crop genetics. The focus of my bio-archaeological research will be selected sites in West China and Kazakhstan, chosen to complement ongoing research elsewhere (by a number of different groups) and to fill a critical geographical gap in the growing bio-archaeological record of Eurasia. For my genetic analyses I shall target upon two crops, one whose movement in prehistory was from west to east, the other form east to west. Of the various crops that moved in this way, I have chosen barley and foxtail millet chosen on the basis of i) their archaeological record of domestication and spread; ii) their genetic suitability for study, and iii) the timeliness of studying them in relation to contemporary research around the world today. Fields of science humanitieshistory and archaeologyhistoryprehistoryagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growingagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturevegetable growingsocial sciencessociologyglobalizationhumanitieshistory and archaeologyarchaeologybioarchaeology Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-AG-SH6 - ERC Advanced Grant - The study of the human past Call for proposal ERC-2009-AdG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant Host institution THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE EU contribution € 1 946 514,76 Address TRINITY LANE THE OLD SCHOOLS CB2 1TN Cambridge United Kingdom See on map Region East of England East Anglia Cambridgeshire CC Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Martin Jones (Prof.) Administrative Contact Renata Schaeffer (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE United Kingdom EU contribution € 1 946 514,76 Address TRINITY LANE THE OLD SCHOOLS CB2 1TN Cambridge See on map Region East of England East Anglia Cambridgeshire CC Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Martin Jones (Prof.) Administrative Contact Renata Schaeffer (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK United Kingdom EU contribution € 32 485,20 Address Kirby Corner Road - University House CV4 8UW Coventry See on map Region West Midlands (England) West Midlands Coventry Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Jonathan Bull (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data