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HEStaff exchange2024–2028

ARCHBOTANKA · From the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean through ethnoarchaeology of fuel and archaeobotany

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2024-03-01 → 2028-02-29
EU contribution
€294,400
Participants
6
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-SE

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

From the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean through ethnoarchaeology of fuel and archaeobotany

Archaeobotany studies plant remains from archaeological sites to understand past human–environment relationships. These remains reveal information about ancient climates, ecosystems, and how people used plants for food, medicine, construction, and especially fuel. This project focuses on firewood as a key energy source. In Sri Lanka, past firewood use is poorly understood. The project addresses this by combining archaeological research on charcoal with ethnographic studies and collaboration with academic and non-academic institutions. Firewood has long been essential for human societies and remains vital in many rural communities, despite challenges in sustainable use and forest management. The project has four main objectives: 1. Study firewood practices among the Vedda communities, documenting how wood is selected, collected, and used, and contributing to knowledge of traditional environmental practices. 2. Create the first reference collection of wood and charcoal for Sri Lanka, supporting identification of archaeological remains and future research. 3. Reconstruct past firewood use through charcoal analysis from archaeological sites, while developing methods and local research capacity. 4. Promote public awareness of plant use by creating educational materials linked to sustainability and global challenges. Overall, the project combines research, collaboration, and education to better understand long-term human–forest interactions and the role of firewood in past and present societies.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The objective of this project is to study energy procurement practices and its relationship with environmental, economic, and social sustainability. To do so, we aim to carry out ethnoarchaeological fieldwork regarding fuel-related practices among the Vedda indigenous communities in Sri Lanka. In parallel, we will develop archaeobotanical research to interrogate these questions in prehistoric and early historical periods of the island. The building of a wood reference collection will be key and will boost the development of proper charcoal analyses. The results of this research will be integrated to create an educational resource for museums, botanical gardens and schools, with the aim to bring the study of humans and plants interactions to the general public. This project requires f different methodologies, whose field of expertise, facilities and knowledge are shared between academic and non-academic organizations in France, Spain, and Sri Lanka. For the successful development of the project, we involve 21 persons with different categories (PhD students, postdoctoral and senior researchers, technicians, and members of non-academic organizations) developing a total of 64 months of secondments in the institutions involved. This project will set up the basis for sustainable collaboration between academic institutions working on archaeological charcoal and ethnoarchaeology of fuel, and non-academic institutions engaged in educational resources on ethnobotany and the diversity of human uses of plants. The project is organized in 5 packages including four objectives and the management and dissemination of the project. The research will be carried out through long-term secondments by PhD students and shorter secondments by senior researchers and non-academic members. This project will provide scientific impact by delivering training and resources for the study of charcoal remains and socio and economic impact throughout the production of an educational resource.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • FUNDACIO PRIVADA INSTITUT CATALA DE PALEOECOLOGIA HUMANA I EVOLUCIO SOCIAL · TarragonaCoordinatorSpain
  • ELS CORREMARGES SCCL · PASSANANT I BELLTALLSpain
  • FUNDACIO JARDI BOTANIC DE SOLLER-MUSEU BALEAR DE CIENCIES NATURALS · SOLLERSpain
  • MUSEUM NATIONAL D'HISTOIRE NATURELLE · ParisFrance
  • UNIVERSITAT DE LES ILLES BALEARS · PALMA DE MALLORCASpain
  • UNIVERSITRY OF PERADENIYA · PeradeniyaSri Lanka

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union