Theme:
2. Archaeological Sciences, Humanities and the Digital era: Bridging the Gaps
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Studies of Migration Period and Early Medieval Populations: Integrating Natural Sciences and Humanities
Content:
The Migration and Early Medieval Period are characterized by changes in the demographic, economic, political and sociocultural landscapes of Europe. Since the last decade, bioarchaeological studies, especially of (stable) isotopes and ancient genomics, have yielded fresh insights into diets, kinship, lifeways, and mobilities, among other things. This body of data laid a foundation for comparative studies of skeletal remains, material culture, burial practices, and texts, which are suitable to detect patterns of correlation at various scales, thus offering a reflection of the intricate networks and dynamics characterising this time of transitions. However, the combination of diverse approaches, methodologies, and sources has become increasingly complex and revealed the need for promoting more interdisciplinary communication as well as a careful re-evaluation of comparative approaches and data set collection.
This session aims to bring together researchers working with biomolecular methods (isotopes, aDNA), and material as well as immaterial culture (artefacts, archaeological features, texts) to discuss and develop new directions of research together. Methodological considerations are emphasised, also including the establishment of data standards as basis of big data comparative studies and the (re-)use of master narratives to frame the dynamic processes of these periods.
Furthermore, the session opens a dialogue to identify challenges across linguistic, institutional, and geo-political borders, and how to tackle them in the future. We invite researchers from all spectrums of (bio-)archaeology and history to submit contributions, so we can connect perspectives of the natural sciences and the humanities, and reflect on the synergy and challenges of such endeavours.
Keywords:
Bioarchaeology, Migration Period, Early Middle Ages, Interdisciplinary Archaeology, Isotopes, aDNA
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
Valerie Palmowski (Germany) 1
Co-organisers:
Stefania Sasso (Estonia) 2
Guido Gnecchi-Ruscone (Germany) 3
Laura Lacher (Germany) 3
Ulla Moilanen (Finland) 4
Affiliations:
1. University of Bonn
2. University of Tartu
3. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
4. University of Helsinki
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