Blanz, M., Gröcke, D.R., Martin, P., Church, M., 2024. The effect of seaweed fertilisation on sulfur isotope ratios (δ³⁴S) and grain size in barley: Implications for agronomy and archaeological research. Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology 3, 1465082. read more
Bhavna Ahlawat is our first Junior Intern and is visiting HEAS currently working on exciting new research concerned with biomolecules from ancient Indian sites. I am a molecular biologist specializing in ancient DNA and population genetics, focusing on different archaeological sites in India. During my doctoral research at Panjab University and BSIP, India, I honed my skills in ancient DNA protocols while working in India's first dedicated aDNA facility, which specializes in analyzing degraded DNA from tropical samples. My expertise in diverse extraction and library preparation protocols was significant in generating high-quality data from critical human skeletal remains, including samples from the Vadnagar archaeological complex and the Indus Valley Civilization site at Lothal (∼2200 BCE). Currently, as a research intern with HEAS at the University of Vienna, I am exploring the application of Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) on a variety of bone remains of different species from South Asia—an under-researched region in this context. My work focuses on: 1. Species Identification: Utilizing peptide mass fingerprinting through MALDI-ToF-MS for South Asian samples. 2. Degraded Collagen Analysis: Investigating the potential of ZooMS for analyzing fragile and degraded bone collagen from this region. Through this research, I aim to bridge gaps in South Asian archaeogenetics and develop methodologies for studying ancient remains in challenging environments and understand the hman animal interaction. I…
Végh, E.I., Douka, K., 2024. SpecieScan: semi-automated taxonomic identification of bone collagen peptides from MALDI-ToF-MS. Bioinformatics 40. read more
HEAS member Gerhard Weber starts a new FWF Project to study the 3D morphology of human postcanine teeth. Petra Simkova will be employed as PostDoc, Jana Pfneiszl will start a PhD in the project. In this project we undertake the first comprehensive 3D study of human teeth, more precisely of the tooth crowns of canines, premolars, and molars from the upper and lower dentition. We will also include milk teeth. Despite the long history of dental research in anthropology and medicine, progress in studying the three-dimensional geometry of teeth has only been made recently. How the 3D shape and size of individual tooth types are related to each other, how they vary between different human populations, and which individual regions of these teeth show more or less variation remains largely unknown. This project fills the gaps in our knowledge on human dental anatomy, provides comparable data, and lays the foundations for future work to unravel the associations between teeth and genes. We have defined four major aims: 1) Investigate the 3D shape and size variation of the upper and lower dentition in a geographically diverse sample of modern humans, 2) study the shape variation in different tooth regions, namely those regions that touch each other during chewing and those which do not touch, 3) examine the 3D shape relationships between…
Webb, N.M., Fornai, C., Krenn, V.A., Watson, L.M., Herbst, E.C., Haeusler, M., 2024. Gradual exacerbation of obstetric constraints during hominoid evolution implied by re-evaluation of cephalopelvic fit in chimpanzees. Nature Ecology & Evolution. read more
Organisation: Dr. Ing. Mathias Mehofer, VIAS, University Vienna In the year 2004 the scanning electron microscopy laboratory was funded at the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science, University of Vienna. Initiated within the FWF project (P 16489) "The Gold Treasure from Sannicolau Mare (Nagyszentmiklós)" under the direction of Gen. Dir. Prof. Dr. F. Daim, it was used to conduct technological and material analysis of this outstanding early medieval gold treasure, which is nowadays housed in the Antikensammlung, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (KHM). The scanning electron microscope played a pivotal role in this work and has since been utilized in many other research projects addressing various scientific questions. Anorganic and organic materials of all kind were analysed, contributing to archaeometric research and numerous publications. The planned anniversary event on November 14, 2024 aims to reflect on the scientific activities of the past 20 years and present outstanding research results. We warmly invite you to join us in celebrating this anniversary. Where: Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology University Vienna Franz Klein Gasse 1/3rd floor 1190 Vienna lecture room 7 (HS7) When: 14.11.2024, 15-17 pm, followed by a get-together with a buffet and good vine. We kindly ask you to register by 07.11.2024 at mathias.mehofer@univie.ac.at Jubiläum_20_Jahre-REM_VIAS_Universität_Wien_
Schauer, Michaela: Datenkontrolle, -aufbereitung und -auswertung portabler Röntgenfluoreszenzanalysen (p-RFA) mit dem Bruker Tracer 5i No 900F398 an silikatischem Material des Brandopferplatzes bei Farchant, Lkr. Garmisch-Partenkirchen. 31. Juli 2024. Open Data LMU. 10.5282/ubm/data.536 read more
In a new study in Current Biology, HEAS members So Jung Han and Martin Kuhlwilm together with an international team, improve our understanding of bonobos. Bonobos are, together with chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, but the genetic structure of their population was so far not well understood. They show that three genetically distinct bonobo groups of inferred Central, Western and Far-Western geographic origin exist within the bonobo range. Their split times are up to ~145,000 years ago, which similar to that of some chimpanzee subspecies. This highlights the need of attention to bonobo substructure, which is fundamental both to understand their evolutionary past and preserve their future. https://www.heas.at/research/publications/deep-genetic-substructure-within-bonobos/ Press Release (In German) More information
Han, S., de Filippo, C., Parra, G., Meneu, J.R., Laurent, R., Frandsen, P., Hvilsom, C., Gronau, I., Marques-Bonet, T., Kuhlwilm, M., Andrés, A.M., Deep genetic substructure within bonobos. Current Biology. read more
Sawyer, S., Gelabert, P., Yakir, B., Llanos-Lizcano, A., Sperduti, A., Bondioli, L., Cheronet, O., Neugebauer-Maresch, C., Teschler-Nicola, M., Novak, M., Pap, I., Szikossy, I., Hajdu, T., Moiseyev, V., Gromov, A., Zariņa, G., Meshorer, E., Carmel, L., Pinhasi, R., 2024. Improved detection of methylation in ancient DNA. Genome Biology 25, 261. read more
Swami, V., White, M.P., Voracek, M., Tran, U.S., Aavik, T., Ranjbar, H.A., Adebayo, S.O., Afhami, R., Ahmed, O., Aimé, A., Akel, M., Al Halbusi, H., Alexias, G., Ali, K.F., Alp-Dal, N., Alsalhani, A.B., Álvarez-Solas, S., Soares Amaral, A.C., Andrianto, S., Aspden, T., Argyrides, M., Aruta, J.J.B.R., Atkin, S., Ayandele, O., Baceviciene, M., Bahbouh, R., Ballesio, A., Barron, D., Bellard, A., Bender, S., Beydaǧ, K.D., Birovljević, G., Blackburn, M.-È., Borja-Alvarez, T., Borowiec, J., Bozogáňová, M., Bratland-Sanda, S., Browning, M.E.M., Brytek-Matera, A., Burakova, M., Çakır-Koçak, Y., Camacho, P., Camilleri, V.E., Cazzato, V., Cerea, S., Chaiwutikornwanich, A., Chaleeraktrakoon, T., Chambers, T., Chen, Q.-W., Chen, X., Chien, C.-L., Chobthamkit, P., Choompunuch, B., Compte, E.J., Corrigan, J., Cosmas, G., Cowden, R.G., Czepczor-Bernat, K., Czub, M., Roberto da Silva, W., Dadfar, M., Dalley, S.E., Dany, L., Datu, J.A.D., Berbert de Carvalho, P.H., Lins de Holanda Coelho, G., De Jesus, A.O.S., Debbabi, S.H., Dhakal, S., Di Bernardo, F., Dimitrova, D.D., Dion, J., Dixson, B., Donofrio, S.M., Drysch, M., Du, H., Dzhambov, A.M., El-Jor, C., Enea, V., Eskin, M., Farbod, F., Farrugia, L., Fian, L., Fisher, M.L., Folwarczny, M., Frederick, D.A., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Furnham, A., García, A.A., Geller, S., Ghisi, M., Ghorbani, A., Gomez Martinez, M.A., Gradidge, S., Graf, S., Grano, C., Gyene, G., Hallit, S., Hamdan, M., Handelzalts, J.E., Hanel, P.P., Hawks, S.R., Hekmati, I., Helmy, M.,…
On Friday, October 4th, 2024, 17 members of the Human Evolution and Archaeological Science (HEAS) research network from the University of Vienna set off for a remarkable two-day excursion to Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its prehistoric salt mines. The group, split into two rented vans, arrived in Hallstatt in the afternoon, where they were warmly welcomed by Dr. Georg Tiefengraber and Daniel Brandner, along with Bernd Paulowitz, the UNESCO Site Manager, and the head of the Hallstatt Museum. The first day unfolded with a guided tour through the museum, where the group marveled at exceptional archaeological finds from the Hallstatt prehistoric cemetery and the salt mines. The artifacts, meticulously preserved, offered a window into the life and practices of the region’s ancient inhabitants. Following the museum tour, the group visited the iconic photographic viewpoint of Hallstatt, capturing views of the beautiful village, before continuing to the church Mariä Himmelfahrt and the famous ossuary, known for its collection of painted skulls. After a joint dinner, the group embarked on an evening hike, led by Daniel Brandner, up the mountain to the research center. Along the way, they encountered numerous fire salamanders, which added an extra touch to the excursion. The second day began with the remaining members of the group, who had stayed in Obertraun, joining via…
Caves have long served as critical habitats for both humans and carnivores during the Pleistocene. Traditionally, research has focused primarily on humans, often overlooking the role of carnivores in these ecosystems. Additionally, carnivores are frequently absent from the archaeological record as their activities may not leave behind remains indicating they perished in caves. Pere Gelabert’s SHADOWS project aims to broaden our understanding of how these carnivores coexisted with humans, competed for resources, and ultimately faced extinction. The project will utilize advanced techniques such as high spatiotemporal precision sampling for sediment DNA and paleoproteomics. This research will enhance our knowledge of the biological processes leading to extinction and offer crucial insights for the protection of critically endangered species today. The team will generate comprehensive data on these species, particularly focusing on their later occurrences, to detail the process of genetic erosion. Additionally, the team will develop models to better explain carnivore-human interactions and co-evolutionary patterns, aspects that are essential for understanding Paleolithic societies Pere Gelabert is a biologist who earned his PhD in Biomedicine from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, in 2018. Since 2019, he has been conducting research as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology of the University of Vienna. He has established himself as an author of several publications in the field of paleogenomics. In…
HEAS Member Katerina Douka was recently interviewed by 'Die Presse' on her work identifying previously unclassified tooth and bone samples and her methods for decontaminating archaeological material. "Just two decades ago, people had a fairly simple picture of why modern humans were the only ones of the Homo genus to survive." This picture was based on theories about hunting techniques and tools and fed the idea of superior modern humans who conquered the world victoriously. "But that's not how it happened." We have known that there were other forms of humans since the discovery of the first Neanderthal skull - recognized as such - in 1856, three years before Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species." Read full article (in German) below: https://www.diepresse.com/18905736/die-geschichte-der-menschheit-muss-umgeschrieben-werden Douka_Die_Presse_Die Geschichte der Menschheit muss umgeschrieben werden _ DiePresse.com_compressed dp.dp_die_presse.28_09_2024
Fornai, C., 2023. Why Anthropologists and Dentists Should Work in Synergy to Improve Oral Health (in Latin America). Revista Argentina de Antropología Biologica. read more
Pigott, E.M., Uthmeier, T., Chabai, V., Higham, T.F.G., 2024. The Late Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic in Crimea (Ukraine)—A Review of the Neanderthal Refugium Hypothesis. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology 7, 27. read more
A new study by HEAS members Nicole Grunstra, Philipp Mitteroecker and Anne Le Maître, published in Nature Communications, showed clear evidence of convergent evolution over phylogenetic signal in the inner ear of mammals. The shape of the bony labyrinth - the osseous moulding of the inner ear - remains intensively studied in humans and extinct hominins in order to study adaptation and phylogenetic relationships. This macroevolutionary study of different evolutionary signals in the mammalian inner ear provides a relevant evolutionary context for human inner ear variation. https://www.heas.at/research/publications/convergent-evolution-in-afrotheria-and-non-afrotherians-demonstrates-high-evolvability-of-the-mammalian-inner-ear/ [caption id="attachment_3905" align="alignnone" width="300"] credit: Nikolay Usik[/caption]
Gerhard Weber recently had his publication on 'Quantum Leaps in Human Biocultural Evolution and the Relationship to Cranial Capacity' cited in a New Scientist article on 'Why did humans evolve big brains? A new idea bodes ill for our future'. The article considers his suggestions that the rise of artificial intelligence might become even less important for humans to maintain large brains.. Barras.C.2024.New.Scientist.Brain.Evolution https://www.heas.at/research/publications/quantum-leaps-in-human-biocultural-evolution-and-the-relationship-to-cranial-capacity/ https://homepage.univie.ac.at/gerhard.weber/selected-publications/
Grunstra, N.D.S., Hollinetz, F., Bravo Morante, G., Zachos, F.E., Pfaff, C., Winkler, V., Mitteroecker, P., Le Maître, A., 2024. Convergent evolution in Afrotheria and non-afrotherians demonstrates high evolvability of the mammalian inner ear. Nature Communications 15, 7869. read more
Slimak, L., Vimala, T., Seguin-Orlando, A., Metz, L., Zanolli, C., Joannes-Boyau, R., Frouin, M., Arnold, L.J., Demuro, M., Devièse, T., Comeskey, D., Buckley, M., Camus, H., Muth, X., Lewis, J.E., Bocherens, H., Yvorra, P., Tenailleau, C., Duployer, B., Coqueugniot, H., Dutour, O., Higham, T., Sikora, M., 2024. Long genetic and social isolation in Neanderthals before their extinction. Cell Genomics 4. read more
Fornai, C., 2024. Anthropology meets Dentistry in Central America: Research and education in oralbiology. REVISTA ARGENTINA DE ANTROPOLOGÍA BIOLÓGICA 26. read more
Rapa Nui (Easter Island) with its gigantic statues and treeless landscape has fascinated researchers for centuries. A new genetic study published in this week’s Nature disproves the popular theory that the Rapanui population collapsed as a result of an “ecocide”—a human-caused environmental suicide—and shows that the Rapanui admixed with Indigenous Americans centuries before Europeans arrived on the island. https://www.heas.at/research/publications/ancient-rapanui-genomes-reveal-resilience-and-pre-european-contact-with-the-americas/ Press Release Media Coverage ORF
Moreno-Mayar, J.V., Sousa da Mota, B., Higham, T., Klemm, S., Gorman Edmunds, M., Stenderup, J., Iraeta-Orbegozo, M., Laborde, V., Heyer, E., Torres Hochstetter, F., Friess, M., Allentoft, M.E., Schroeder, H., Delaneau, O., Malaspinas, A.-S., 2024. Ancient Rapanui genomes reveal resilience and pre-European contact with the Americas. Nature. read more
Oberreiter, V., Gelabert, P., Brück, F., Franz, S., Zelger, E., Szedlacsek, S., Cheronet, O., Cano, F.T., Exler, F., Zagorc, B., Karavanić, I., Banda, M., Gasparyan, B., Straus, L.G., Gonzalez Morales, M.R., Kappelman, J., Stahlschmidt, M., Rattei, T., Kraemer, S.M., Sawyer, S., Pinhasi, R., 2024. Maximizing efficiency in sedimentary ancient DNA analysis: a novel extract pooling approach. Scientific Reports 14, 19388. read more
Zagorc, B., Blanz, M., Gelabert, P., Sawyer, S., Oberreiter, V., Cheronet, O., Chen, H.S., Carić, M., Visković, E., Olalde, I., Ivanova-Bieg, M., Novak, M., Reich, D., Pinhasi, R., 2024. Bioarchaeological Perspectives on Late Antiquity in Dalmatia: Paleogenetic, Dietary, and Population Studies of the Hvar—Radošević burial site. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 16, 150. read more
Gaffney, D., Tanudirjo, D.A., Djami, E.N.I., Mas'ud, Z., Macap, A.R., Russell, T., Dailom, M., Ray, Y., Higham, T., Bradshaw, F., Petchey, F., Florin, S.A., Roberts, P., Lucas, M., Tromp, M., Greig, K., Xhauflair, H., Montenegro, A., Hall, R., Boulanger, C., Ono, R., Oertle, A., Scholz, D., Spitzer, M., Szabo, K., Bertelli, I., Ribechini, E., Haberle, S., 2024. Human dispersal and plant processing in the Pacific 55 000–50 000 years ago. Antiquity, 1-20. read more
Authors: Dominik Hagmann and Nisa Iduna Kirchengast Description: In this blog post, we, Dominik and Nisa, reflect on our Kinderuni session "Römisches Essen: alles bio und vegan? Mit der Archäologie der antiken Ernährung auf der Spur" (Roman Food: All Organic and Vegan? Tracing Ancient Diet with Archaeology). On Monday, July 8th, we had the pleasure of diving into the world of Roman cuisine with a group of curious young researchers aged 7 to 12. This session was part of the wider Kinderuni initiative, which also includes a virtual session on ancient diets available online since 2020: "Parrots, Fish Sauce, and Dogs" (https://kinderuni.online/kurs/papageien-fischsauce-und-hunde/). What did we do? We explored what the ancient Romans ate, discussing not only the ingredients but also how we can still discover what was on people's plates nearly 2000 years ago. We examined archaeological finds, peeked into ancient cookbooks, and even considered how one could cook Roman food today – with a modern twist, of course! What went well: Lively discussions: The children were enthusiastic and surprised us with their questions and ideas. They wanted to know everything, from the Romans' favorite dishes to the spices they used. Interactive elements: We cooked "ancient" recipes together (with modern ingredients, of course!) and the children could even try their hand at it. This was not only fun but also…
Dehasque, M., Morales, H.E., Díez-del-Molino, D., Pečnerová, P., Chacón-Duque, J.C., Kanellidou, F., Muller, H., Plotnikov, V., Protopopov, A., Tikhonov, A., Nikolskiy, P., Danilov, G.K., Giannì, M., van der Sluis, L., Higham, T., Heintzman, P.D., Oskolkov, N., Gilbert, M.T.P., Götherström, A., van der Valk, T., Vartanyan, S., Dalén, L., 2024. Temporal dynamics of woolly mammoth genome erosion prior to extinction. Cell 187, 3531-3540.e3513. read more
Nigst, P.R., Antl-Weiser, W., Bosch, M.D., 2024. Exploring the Surrounding of a Gravettian Site. The Case Study Grub-Kranawetberg, Austria. Archaeologia Austriaca 108. read more
Clark, J., Shipton, C., Moncel, M.-H., Nigst, P.R., Foley, R.A., 2024. When is a handaxe a planned-axe? exploring morphological variability in the Acheulean. PloS one 19, e0307081. read more
The first Conference on Methodological Innovations in P-XRF-Studies will be held on 24th of September 2024 at the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science with an Ice-breaker Event at the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien on the 23rd of September. It will give space to discuss portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF), a method widely used in a variety of research fields including archaeometry, conservation, geology, heritage studies, and many more. However, despite its widespread use, there still remains a lack of understanding of the specific requirements and best practices for handling the instrument across different research applications and materials: The simplicity of the instrument, as easy as pulling a trigger, gives the impression that, compared to laboratory methods, it does not require a specialist to operate it. As a result, there is a lack of training opportunities for practitioners, a deficit of groundwork and innovative studies and a tendency to apply p-XRF in a repetitive manner to the ever-same research questions. This sidelines p-XRF and neglects its innovative potential. Therefore, this conference will provide a platform to present cutting-edge methods and strategies for p-XRF data acquisition, processing and interpretation. It aims to highlight practical and software innovations, handling techniques and the new ways of the application of p-XRF to a variety of materials. Presentations from a variety of fields utilizing p-XRF will be presented…
HEAS Team Leader Sylvia Kirchengast (Department of Evolutionary Anthropology) has recently received new funding from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)’s 1000 Ideas Program. Her research project, „Gender-associated infant mortality in archaeological samples“, will examine the still unexplained female deficit in prehistoric and historic cemeteries. The demographic interpretation of prehistoric and historic cemeteries is challenged by a frequent female deficit, with male skeletons often outnumbering female skeletons by a factor of two or more, contrary to expected natural sex ratios. Methodological issues such as inaccurate morphological sex diagnosis and possibly faster decomposition of female skeletons have been suggested but remain unproven. Additionally, gender stereotypes may influence the sex classification of human remains. Sylvia's interdisciplinary project posits a new explanation: the female deficit is not a methodological artifact but a result of the subordinate role of women in patriarchal societies. This deficit may stem from lower societal investment in female offspring or from deliberate neglect. The project explores this question through interdisciplinary collaboration between Roman Archaeology and Biological Anthropology. The team, consisting of HEAS members Sylvia Kirchengast, Dominik Hagmann, and other experts from HEAS and beyond, will analyze a Roman-era cemetery from today’s Wels, Austria, known for its female deficit. The research will include aDNA analysis of subadult individuals to detect excess female mortality, 14C dating, and material culture…
Schaefer, K., Seiser, V.M., Prucha, S., Kerschbaumer, V., Fink, B., Windhager, S., 2024. Male facial cues to physical strength in Europe: Medium‐strength preference and higher aggressiveness attribution to the weakest. American journal of human biology, e24040. read more
Horn, L., Windhager, S., Juricka, N., Bugnyar, T., Massen, J.J., Markova, G., 2024. Investigating the effects of prenatal testosterone exposure (via 2D: 4D) and socio-relational factors on 3–6-year-old preschoolers' prosocial choices. Early Human Development, 106055. read more
Schaefer, K., Seidl-Berger, A., Windhager, S., 2024. Early developmental masculinization among boys: More prenatal testosterone action (assessed via 2D: 4D) renders their faces perceived as masculine but not pretty or cute. Early Human Development, 106071. read more
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Elmira Mohandesan has been awarded an FWF stand-alone research grant (PAT 3594624). She and her international team will explore the genetic diversity and cultural interactions of Late Bronze to Middle Iron Age human communities in the Carpathian Basin. Their multidisciplinary study will investigate how eastern population influxes and horses influenced these societies, providing a comprehensive understanding of their socio-cultural transformations." More information
The HEAS Keynote with Eszter Bánffy took place on Friday the 28th June in the beautiful Theatersaal in the HEAS Partner Institution The Austrian Academy of Sciences. We welcomed almost 100 people online and in-person for her talk on 'New strategies and coping practices of early farmers taking the Danubian route (6000-5350 cal BC)'. The recording from this event will be available on our YouTube channel later this week.
A team led by J.-M. Tejero, integrated by several HEAS members, published research assessing the reliability of Cervidae antler as a source of ancient DNA by analysing samples from several Eurasian regions. More information here
Özdoğan, K.T., Gelabert, P., Hammers, N., Altınışık, N.E., de Groot, A., Plets, G., 2024. Archaeology meets environmental genomics: implementing sedaDNA in the study of the human past. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 16, 108. read more
Mylopotamitaki, D., Weiss, M., Fewlass, H., Zavala, E.I., Rougier, H., Sümer, A.P., Hajdinjak, M., Smith, G.M., Ruebens, K., Sinet-Mathiot, V., Pederzani, S., Essel, E., Harking, F.S., Xia, H., Hansen, J., Kirchner, A., Lauer, T., Stahlschmidt, M., Hein, M., Talamo, S., Wacker, L., Meller, H., Dietl, H., Orschiedt, J., Olsen, J.V., Zeberg, H., Prüfer, K., Krause, J., Meyer, M., Welker, F., McPherron, S.P., Schüler, T., Hublin, J.-J., 2024. Homo sapiens reached the higher latitudes of Europe by 45,000 years ago. Nature 626, 341-346. read more
