Theme:
1. The Material Record: Current Trends and Future Directions
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Infectious Disease and Hygiene in the Neolithic and Bronze Age
Content:
Understanding the interlinked histories of humans and infectious disease promises a more comprehensive view of our past. The investigation of infectious diseases in archaeological contexts has gained increasing interest given the numerous open questions with regard to the aetiological agents of past pandemics and the potential influence of human subsistence and sociocultural changes (such as the Neolithic and Bronze Age transitions) on population health. Throughout human history, a number of epidemics and pandemics have been historically recorded or are hypothesized to have occurred, however, a deep understanding of the influence of infectious disease on human societies prior to the availability of textual records is still lacking. In this session, we aim to use a multi-faceted approach that enhances our overall understanding of pathogen presence, diversity and evolution, as well as human responses to infectious disease during prehistory, with special focus on the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. To create a platform for discussing the interactions between humans and pathogens from a biosocial perspective, we welcome contributions from researchers specialized in paleopathology, bioarcheology, history, and genomics. Specifically, this session will focus on:
1. The identification of infectious diseases in the Neolithic and Bronze Age using a variety of methodological approaches;
2. The determination of drivers of disease emergence and transmission, such as living circumstances, dietary habits, food preparation methods, waste disposal practices, etc.;
3. The exploration of evidence of hygienic treatment and prevention of disease in prehistoric communities;
4. The impact of infectious diseases on the demographic and social development of Neolithic and Bronze Age societies; and
5. The characterization of long-term evolutionary history of pathogens and their association to modern-day diversity, especially for infectious diseases that continue to pose a threat to public health today.
Submission deadline 8th of February 2024
Keywords:
Infectious disease, Hygienic treatment, Subsistence, Sociocultural changes, Resilience, Public health
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:
Agne Civilyte (Lithuania) 1
Co-organisers:
Maria Spyrou (Germany) 2,3
Affiliations:
1. Lithuanian institute of history
2. Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen
3. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
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