Transalpine Mobilität und Kulturtransfer. Erstellen eines Isotopenfingerabdruckes für bioarchäologische Funde, insbesondere Leichenbrand, und seine Applikation auf archäologisch-kulturhistorische Fragestellungen in der Spätbronze- bis Römerzeit

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Gisela Grupe
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 191679530

In the first phase of the project an isotopic map was generated for the Alpine region of interest (Inn-Eisack-Etsch-Brenner-Passage) as well as a catalog of criteria used to validate the isotopic data collected from bioarchaeological apatite. Furthermore, modern data mining methods could show that measurements based on four isotopes (87Sr/86Sr, 208Pb/204P, 207Pb/204Pb, 206Pb/204Pb) are able to provide information on the origin of cremated remains.The Project¿s second phase will be devoted to applying the isotopic map to specific archaeological problem statements, which rely to a large extent mostly or solely on cremated remains. Four individual archaeological projects are organized according to chronological time periods ranging from the Urnfield period to the late Roman Age. In particular, the approach used to address questions regarding the original motivation and impetus for the movement and exchange of man, animal and ideas is of central importance. Utilizing a solid foundation of data, both culturally oriented scientists and population biologists can contribute equally to differentiating between mobility and migration. A comparison of the archaeological findings with the isotopic signatures will significantly improve our historical understanding of the regions of focus throughout the aforementioned time periods and will function as a reference for similar problem statements in the future. For the first time cremated remains, which up until now have been a relatively neglected substrate for study, are subject to systematic investigation. Research stemming from phase I and II will be combined in a final synthesis of transalpine mobility in the reference region and cultural transfer. An open access database will be established following project conclusion to facilitate international cooperation and exchange.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 1670: Transalpine Mobility and Culture Transfer