Projektbeschreibung
Wichtige Erkenntnisse über Pfahlbausiedlungen in Mitteleuropa
Die prähistorischen Siedlungen an den Alpenseen, bekannt für ihre gut erhaltenen hölzernen und anderen organischen Artefakte, stellen bedeutende archäologische Archive der menschlichen Vorgeschichte dar. Es sind über 1 000 Stätten bekannt, von denen 111 auf der Welterbeliste der UNESCO stehen. Das EU-finanzierte Projekt ALPGEN wird die Bevölkerungsgeschichte der Seensiedlungen in der Zeit zwischen 5000 und 500 v. u. Z. untersuchen. Im Einzelnen wird das Projekt alte DNS und andere Biomoleküle aus vorzeitlichem „Kaugummi“ sequenzieren, die in den Seensiedlungen in und um die Alpen gefunden wurden. Das wird dazu beitragen, die Interaktionen, die Demografie und die Kultur der Alpengemeinschaften besser zu verstehen. Daneben wird das Projekt auch neue Erkenntnisse zur Gesundheit der Menschen dieser damaligen Gemeinschaften sowie unter anderem zur Zusammensetzung ihres Mundmikrobioms liefern.
Ziel
The prehistoric pile dwellings in and around the Alps constitute one of the most important archaeological archives of human prehistory. Dating from around 5000 to 500 BC, there are over 1000 known sites in the region, 111 of which are listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The sites are mainly located under water, on lake shores, along rivers, or in wetlands, offering exceptional conditions for the preservation of organic materials like wood, plant remains, animal bones, artefacts, and even textiles. Because of their exceptional preservation, the archaeological remains from those sites give us a unique window into the lives of prehistoric people and the development of early agrarian societies in Central Europe. However, despite the rich material evidence from the settlements, we know relatively little about the people who lived there. This is because there are no burials directly associated with the lake settlements, which has precluded the study of ancient DNA, for example. Luckily, there are other sources of ancient DNA, including ancient “chewing gums” which provide a rich of ancient human and host-associated microbial DNA as we recently demonstrated. In this project we will sequence ancient DNA and other biomolecules from ancient “chewing gums” found at lake settlements in and around the Alps to shed new light on the lives of the Alpine communities that settled there between 5000 and 500 BC. With access to over 300 specimens from archaeological sites north and south of the Alps, we have the unique opportunity to study their interactions and the demographic and cultural changes that characterised the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age in Central Europe. In addition, the project promises to offer new insights into peoples’ health and the composition of their oral microbiome, as well as their diet and subsistence strategies. Together, the proposed research will provide us with a richer understanding of the pile-dwelling communities of Central Europe.
Wissenschaftliches Gebiet
Programm/Programme
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Thema/Themen
Finanzierungsplan
ERC - Support for frontier research (ERC)Gastgebende Einrichtung
1165 Kobenhavn
Dänemark