Skip to main content
European Commission logo
español español
CORDIS - Resultados de investigaciones de la UE
CORDIS
CORDIS Web 30th anniversary CORDIS Web 30th anniversary

Deciphering archaeological Residues to understand the history of European Grape cultivation and winemaking Societies

Descripción del proyecto

Los inicios de la vinicultura

El vino se relaciona con las sociedades humanas desde el inicio del desarrollo de la agricultura, hace unos ocho mil años en Oriente Próximo. El descubrimiento de residuos de uvas en cerámica confirmaron que a la gente del Neolítico le gustaba el vino, pero todavía quedan demasiadas preguntas sin respuesta sobre el desarrollo prehistórico y la difusión del cultivo de la uva y la vinicultura. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos DREGS analizará semillas antiguas de excavaciones de yacimientos arqueológicos de Eurasia y África del Norte que datan desde 1 000 a. C. hasta la Edad Media. Investigará cuándo y dónde se difundieron primero las uvas blancas y cuándo se establecieron las variedades en las tradiciones locales. Además, examinará cómo cambió la vinicultura a lo largo de las transformaciones culturales.

Objetivo

The prehistoric development and spread of grape cultivation and winemaking have impacted the world to a remarkable extent, shaping core social traditions, religious and secular rituals, and the world economy. Despite the cultural significance of viniculture, there are major gaps in our understanding of its development, including:

A) when and where white berries were first propagated,
B) when varieties became established into local traditions, and
C) how viniculture changed during cultural upheavals.

In DREGS, I will explore these questions by analysing ancient seeds excavated from archaeological sites across Eurasia and North Africa dating 1000 BCE to the Middle Ages. Under the guidance of experts at the University of York, I will be trained in 2- and 3-dimensional documentation of seeds and then recover the ancient DNA (aDNA) they contain. Preliminary results demonstrate berry colour and variety can be inferred using aDNA, so I anticipate findings on the above questions will lead to publications in top journals and generate great public interest on social media.

During the programme I will also be trained in residue analysis of artefacts. I hypothesize amphorae resin preserves aDNA in archaeological sites that do not yield grape seeds. To test this idea, I will characterize lipids from resinous deposits of dozens of amphorae as well as the DNA within the resin. To properly identify DNA sequences within these complex metagenomic palimpsests, a bioinformatician at the University of Warwick will guide my analyses. Although I have just begun a lectureship, the two years of research enabled by DREGS will allow me to acquire new skills that will ultimately be transferred to students and my collaborators. Furthermore, my novel direct testing of wine artefacts will allow me to explore the history of wine across the European Research Area, raising my profile in the field and helping consolidate myself as group leader of world-class palaeogenomics laboratory.

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS clasifica los proyectos con EuroSciVoc, una taxonomía plurilingüe de ámbitos científicos, mediante un proceso semiautomático basado en técnicas de procesamiento del lenguaje natural.

Para utilizar esta función, debe iniciar sesión o registrarse

Régimen de financiación

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

Coordinador

UNIVERSITY OF YORK
Aportación neta de la UEn
€ 212 933,76
Dirección
HESLINGTON
YO10 5DD York North Yorkshire
Reino Unido

Ver en el mapa

Región
Yorkshire and the Humber North Yorkshire York
Tipo de actividad
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Enlaces
Coste total
€ 212 933,76