ChemArch · The organic chemistry and molecular biology of archaeological artefacts

ChemArch: The organic chemistry and molecular biology of archaeological artefacts

The artefactual record of Europe transcends national boundaries and reminds us of events and processes that have shaped our collective identity. Artefacts are often seen as synonymous with past cultures, physical evidence for the transmission of ideas or movements of people. The ChemArch project brings together researchers in Archaeology and Chemistry, from four different European institutions to analyse organic compounds associated with cultural artefacts. This approach is truly interdisciplinary, drawing on the latest biochemical and geochemical methods to offer forensic detail regarding the origin, manufacture, and use of iconic and everyday items in the past. As a thematic focus, the ChemArch EJD will tap the enormous potential held within Europe’s prehistoric artefactual record over a period of momentous cultural and environmental change: covering the end of the last Ice Age to the development of farming and sedentism in the Neolithic period. Recent scientific research has focused on studying the ‘peopling’ of the continent through this period of momentous change, by reconciling the genetic evidence for demographic change with environmental records and cultural evidence for large scale migrations. However, contextual information revealing ‘how’ the people of Stone Age Europe adapted to change is an obvious lacuna. The ChemArch Integrated Training Network will provide new molecular tools and new data to tell the story of how artefacts were made, used, exchanged and discarded during this period. Fundamentally we aim to understand the various functions artefacts served in people’s daily lives (mundane, symbolic, or otherwise) in order to explore these larger narratives. Rather than focusing on rare or valuable artefacts, the greatest achievement of organic artefact analysis so far has been to investigate the use of everyday utilitarian artefacts, such as ceramic vessels. Due to their porous nature, ceramics provide exceptional preservation of organic products they come into contact with. Recovery of this information is transforming archaeological research, demonstrated by a sustained record of high impact publications, providing unparalleled information regarding diverse foodstuffs and natural products procured, traded, exchanged, and consumed in the past. This information has been particularly crucial for elucidating the development of prehistoric economies and the origins and spread of ceramic technology itself. ChemArch will: 1. Support the career development and training of 15 doctoral students (ESRs) by developing a strategic platform that crosses the sectoral divide between the natural and analytical sciences (bioscience, chemistry, material science) and social sciences (archaeology, anthropology). 2. Promote international mobility to create a network of European specialist labs with complementary expertise and world-wide reach. 3. Promote intersectoral mobility to link these specialised labs with non-academic research organisations, analytical instrument manufacturers, museums, and field work units. 4. Provide coherent training around a thematic program converging on advancing our understanding of Europe’s rich prehistoric artefact record. 5. Involve leading organisations with a sustained history of delivering world-leading interdisciplinary science/humanities training at the doctoral level. 6. Provide a durable legacy through the joint creation of guidelines for best practice in the field and the lab, and tools to help predict where future research efforts are best directed. 7. Create a simple but effective management structure provided by a Coordination Team, Supervisory Board and the Work Package leaders. 8. Engage the public through popular culture outreach events, a set of Wikipedia entries and educational videocasts.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union