Project description
A journey through time to study the Gaulish horse culture
Horses, pivotal to human history, were integral to Gaulish ritual practices, yet understanding remains limited due to sparse textual records. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the GaRlic project merges cutting-edge biomolecular archaeology to study Gaulish horse breeding and rituals during Romanisation. By analysing ancient DNA and genomics, GaRlic aims to uncover breeding patterns and social norms shaping Gaulish horse culture. Drawing on the expertise of renowned scholars and a rich archaeological collection, GaRlic pioneers insights into how Roman influence transformed Iron Age horse agrobiodiversity and ritual practices. This project promises a deeper understanding of ancient Gaulish society through its most revered companion: the horse.
Objective
Horses represent one of the animal species that most impacted human history. They armed past societies with fast mobility while they provided new farming companions and crucial allies at war. As one of the most prominent symbols of wealth and prestige, horses were also commonly integrated in a variety of belief systems. This was the case for protohistoric Gaul from 500 BCE, where horses became increasingly associated with ritual practices, ranging from simple isolated deposits, to funerary rituals in connection with humans and chariots, and sacrificial sanctuaries. Current understanding of these horse-centered practices, and how they were transformed under Roman influence from the 1st century CE is, however, extremely limited for the lack of relevant textual historical sources. The GaRlic project proposes to combine state-of-the-art methodologies at the forefront of biomolecular archaeology to gain fine-grained resolution into ritual and breeding practices in protohistoric Gaulish horses, and follow their changes during the Romanisation process. Our core hypotheses are that specific animal types were bred across Gaul and selected for ritual practices, and that non-local horse resources were increasingly integrated during the Roman Period, ultimately reshaping both breeding and ritual practices. GaRlic builds on the availability of an exceptional archeological collection of protohistoric and Roman horse assemblages in Gaul and involves internationally recognised experts in zooarchaeology, ancient DNA and statistical genomics. It will investigate, for the first time, the horse bloodlines and the embodiment of social norms underlying Gaulish ritual practices and will reveal how the rise of the Roman Empire transformed such practices and, more generally, the pre-existing Iron Age horse agrobiodiversity.
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 history
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- humanities history and archaeology archaeology bioarchaeology
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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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.
75794 Paris
France
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