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H2020Individual fellowship2019–2021

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

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2019-09-01 → 2021-08-31
EU contribution
€212,934
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST

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Results in brief

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

The actions of horticulturalists in Western Asia some 8000 years ago transformed a wild plant bearing small, acidic berries into the domesticated grapevine (Vitis vinifera), changing the course of history in ways early farmers could never have foreseen. Today the grapevine is the world’s most economically important fruit, with berries consumed fresh, as raisins, as juice, but principally, as wine. In addition to being associated with merriment and fine cuisine, wine plays important roles in religious and secular rites, frequently symbolizing fertility and abundance. Scholars have sought to understand the history of winemaking, gathering insights from archaeological evidence, historical documents, and genetic data from wild and cultivated vines, but despite decades of research, we still have major questions regarding the history of ancient viniculture. In particular, researchers have wondered when and where were white berries first propagated by people, when varieties became established and incorporated into local traditions, and how winemaking changed during times of cultural upheaval. The DREGS project seeks to explore these questions through the biomolecular analysis of archaeological grape seeds and artefacts. Through genetic testing of seeds and multidisciplinary analysis of artefacts, new insights on the history of winemaking and grapevine cultivation will be revealed. In turn, these will shed new light on the European cultural traditions of wine and wider agricultural practices.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

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, andC) 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.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

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Data: CORDIS, © European Union