GEOARCHAEOLOGY · Archaeological soil micromorphology of early prehistoric and ethnographic sites

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Project objective

We propose to apply the technique of archaeological soil micromorphology to a selected group of European and Asian prehistoric sites, and of African ethnographic sites, with the goal of reconstructing original contexts of hunter-gatherer activities that w ill lead us to approach the lifestyles and behaviour of our prehistoric ancestors.The project proposed focuses on the Early Palaeolithic, a crucial timeframe that encloses the roots of human evolution and the earliest dispersals that led to the first human settlement of Europe. This research, which comprises an innovative line of investigation, is possible now thanks to present-day technological advancements together with the recent discovery of a number of sites in Europe and Asia dating to 1.8-0.5 million years ago.The proposer is an experienced researcher from Spain specialized in archaeological soil micromorphology. She has previous experience with and permitted access to the prehistoric sites relevant for the project, as well as to the living contexts of the Hadza, a small hunter-gatherer community in Tanzania. The host institution for this project will be the Economies, Societes, Environnements Prehistoriques (ESEP) laboratory of the Maison Mediterraneennes des Sciences de l'Homme (MMSH).This laboratory has a specific area devoted to Geoarchaeology with the necessary space, equipment and experienced personnel. The research will be carried out in close collaboration with Dr. J.-P. Brugal (host institution), France, and will include the use o f a series of related geochemical techniques with which the researcher will become familiarized.This undertaking will represent an outstanding step forward in the professional career of the researcher, as well as her definitive incorporation into the European scientific community, as this a Europe-based, interdisciplinary project.

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Participants

• CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE · PARISCoordinatorFrance

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