On October 17th, 2019 Magdalena Fraser received a 3 year research grant from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond for the project “Gotland in the 3rd millennium BCE. Archaeogenetics, archaeology and cultural diversity”. Big Congrats!
Project Summary
Recent technological advancements have allowed for in-depth genetic investigations of pre-historic humans (archaeogenetics) which have profoundly altered European archaeology. These studies give unique insights into the actual individuals who lived the lives we try to understand, and the genetic structure of pre-historic Europe has been revealed. However, more work is needed for the merging of the two fields, and for the results to reach mainstream archaeology. This project aims to elucidate the demographic developments during the Middle and Late Neolithic transition in Scandinavia in the 3rd millennium BC, from the investigation of burials on the island of Gotland. This is a turbulent time that encompass the end of the TRB-, PWC-, and BAC cultures, and the introduction of the Late Neolithic culture. However, there are large knowledge gaps due to the lack of relevant burials on the island. Recent archive research has revealed 20 new burials with probable connection to this time-period. These will be contextualized from osteological analyses, radiocarbon dating, isotopic analyses for diet and mobility, and the archaeological reports. The individuals will be further investigated with state-of-the art population genetic analyses to explore the population demographic and cultural developments on the island in relation to the Baltic Sea area. This project will contextualize the archaeological developments for one of the strongest demographic shifts in Stone Age Europe.