Objective
The demise of Neandertals and the peopling of Europe by anatomically modern humans (AMH) occurred, geologically speaking, in the blink of an eye. While we know that Neandertals and AMH interbred, how and where this interaction occurred remains unresolved. Now that humans can be fingerprinted from the aDNA they left behind in sediments, high-resolution site formation studies are essential to establish microstratigraphic integrity and to reconstruct the human past at finer scales.
MATRIX will zoom into the sedimentary matrix at an unprecedented resolution using aDNA, but also proteins and lipids stored in archaeological sediments, in order to: 1) find the identity of past hominins in well-preserved micro-contexts, 2) reconstruct both their behaviors (diet, use of fire) and environments they lived in, and 3) contribute to rewriting what happened at the time of Neandertal disappearance by integrating high-resolution molecular and microscopic records. We will focus on seven selected sites distributed throughout Europe and with established aDNA preservation. We will assess the microstratigraphy of deposits from ~50 to 40,000 years BP by studying intact archaeological samples in 2D and 3D micromorphological views. We will obtain aDNA data at a micro-scale, and couple it with bone proteins and lipids from organic-rich sediment samples, all extracted from intact micromorphological samples. The project aims to achieve, for the first time, an integration of biological, behavioral, and environmental information of archaeological deposits at a mm- and sub-mm stratigraphic scale.
Pioneering the application of microarchaeological techniques linked with contextualized molecular data, while setting a rigorous basis for their interpretation, MATRIX will greatly improve our understanding of the migration of AMH into Eurasia and, eventually, to our inhabiting of the entire world.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology archaeology ethnoarchaeology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- social sciences sociology anthropology physical anthropology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2021-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8005 139 Faro
Portugal
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.