Objective
Animal domestication is a key topic in Neolithic archaeological research since the early 1960s. The earliest steps of this phenomenon are, still today, very difficult to achieve. Traditional zooarchaeological analyses used to date domestication rely on detecting the appearance of genetically-driven morphological changes in animals. These morphological markers, however, if they occur at all, only appear after the process is well underway, after hundreds, if not thousands, of years, making it difficult to study them. The READ project will build an alternative approach to detect early evidences of sheep and goat management. The project will investigate the historical life-traits of the animals with a high-resolution time analysis by performing biogeochemical analyses on fossil teeth. Scientific approaches employed are not all highly innovative but their combination together with the themes addressed will involve a high-gain. This will allow reconstructing the three clue mechanisms that were pivotal in the lead up to domestication: the control of the animals’ reproductive cycles; the induced changes to their feeding habits; and the interruption of migratory-seasonal movements. The project will evaluate and compare data from what are known to be the three key regions for this research area: the Southern Levant, the Northern Levant and the Eastern Fertile Crescent. READ will analyses a set of the most important and significant available faunal assemblages for these regions and will put together a reference dataset from wild relatives available in museum collections and current living populations found in breeding centres. At the end of the project I will unravel the current unresolved paradigms on the origin of animal domesticates not relying on how the animals changed but rather what the human societies did to change the animals; revealing how early caprine management was done and where and when processes of animal domestication were initiated.
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-2022-COG
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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.
08193 Cerdanyola Del Valles
Spain
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.