Project Details
Projekt
Bioarchaeological studies on lifeways, diet and health of the people in the Mongol Empire
Applicant
Professorin Alice Toso, Ph.D.
Subject Area
Prehistory and World Archaeology
Term
since 2023
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 468897144
In the 13th century new cities and settlements appeared throughout present-day Mongolia as part of the Mongol Empire. Lands that had been characterised by pastoral nomadism see the appearance of new “implanted” cities. Although urbanism in the Eurasian steppe has been a matter of debate for decades, little is known about the cities. Who populated them? How were the cities supplied? What impact did the new urban lifestyle and living environment have on the dietary habits and health of the inhabitants and the surrounding population? Thanks to recent developments in the field of archaeological science, central questions about the lifestyles of past populations can now be answered through biomolecular studies of archaeological material. The proposed sub-project therefore aims to use stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S as well as δ18O, δ34S and 87Sr/86Sr) of human and animal remains from the settlements of Karakoram, Khar Khul Khaany Balgas and Bayan Gol to gain insights into the dietary habits of the inhabitants and their geographical origin. In combination with the analysis of organic residues (lipids) on pottery as well as osteological and archaeological data on sex, age and social status, conclusions can be drawn for the supply chains of the cities and the effects of the lifestyle and environmental changes triggered by their foundation on the health of the local population. In addition, the potential of more advanced and so far less established analytical approaches (including compound-specific stable isotope analysis, heavy metal residues and palaeoproteomics) will be explored.
DFG Programme
Research Units
