Investigating Pleistocene population dynamics in the Southern Caucasus

Project Information

TransCause

Grant agreement ID: 948015

DOI

10.3030/948015

EC signature date 3 November 2020

Start date 1 October 2021

End date 30 September 2027

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 499 875,00

EU contribution

€ 1 499 875,00

Coordinated by

THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM
Israel

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TransCause (Investigating Pleistocene population dynamics in the Southern Caucasus)

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

TransCause project aims to build a comprehensive behavioural, chronometric, biological, and paleo-climatic framework that encompasses two eco-geographically distinct sub-regions within Armenia between MIS 7 to 3 (250 – 29 ka). This project put an emphasis on the myriad factors that influenced past hunter-gatherer’s decision-making utilizing a complementary suite of environmental and behavioral proxies in a multi-scalar manner. Armenia, as a biodiversity hotspot of Eurasia, is an ideal natural laboratory for testing models of climatic impacts on hominin settlement patterns and population dynamics due to its eco-geographic variability and its location at the crossroads of the Pleistocene hominin world.
At the base of the ERC were two excavations projects in two eco-geographic locales testing elevation-dependent seasonal mobility. The first is the excavations at the Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Kalavan-2, situated at 1630 masl on the northern slopes of the Areguni Mountains, north of Lake Sevan conducted between 2016-2019. The occupation sequence at the site is dated to 50-35 ka. The second during 2019 is the excavation of the Middle Paleolithic Ararat-1 cave (1034 masl) also to dated to 50-35 ka.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The TransCause project during the years of 2021 to 2024 conducted four field seasons, two at Ararat-1 cave (1034 masl) and two at Dalarik 1 cave (930 masl). In addition, during those field seasons a comprehensive geomorphological survey was conducted throughout Ararat basin. A drilling campaign at spring deposits was achieved. Those excavations and fieldwork were the bases of three PhD thesis being conducted. PhD candidate David Nora is studying the material culture from Ararat 1 and Kalavan 2. PhD candidate Dominik Rogal is studying the microfauna and herptofauna of Ararat 1 and Kalavan 2. PhD candidate Ioannis Oikonomou is studying through multi-proxy micro-geoarchaeological study of Ararat-1 and Dalarik-1 Caves. Dr. Alex Brittingham a post-doctorate researcher is studying the drilled core aiming at creating a local long-term climatic record. Dr. Maria Zicos a post-doctorate at the Natural History museum, London is studying the modern and ancient DNA of rodents’ population dynamic from modern owl pellets, Kalavan 2 and Ararat 1 in relation with the effects of past climatic oscillations. In addition, TransCause comprised of ca. 20 researchers from 15 countries and institutions that are taking part in the project.
The upcoming results of all those lines of evidence would enable articulating the Paleolithic record of Armenian highlands within a refined chrono-environmental framework. In addition, those novel results would enable for the first time to position of the local record within the larger narratives of Paleolithic cultural changes of the S-W Asian Paleolithic records and the past population dynamics.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The upcoming results of all those lines of evidence would enable articulating the Paleolithic record of Armenian highlands within a refined chrono-environmental framework. In addition, those novel results would enable for the first time to position of the local record within the larger narratives of Paleolithic cultural changes of the S-W Asian Paleolithic records and the past population dynamics.

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