Project description
A closer look at the dynamics of ancient burials
Unlocking the secrets of ancient societies is hindered by a crucial deficiency in funerary archaeology: an exclusive focus on the final resting places of human remains, neglecting the dynamic nature of funerary practices. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ArchFarm project will address this gap. It aims to expand the methodological principles of funerary archaeology and apply an innovative approach to interpret Neolithic Near Eastern burials. By developing a protocol to identify pre-depositional treatments, such as mummification, ArchFarm will reconstruct the sequence of funerary actions. It will combine archaeo-anthropology, forensic science and ethnoarchaeology to develop a more comprehensive narrative of funerary practices while fostering communication and outreach on the timeless subjects of ‘dying, death and mourning’.
Objective
ArchFarm aims to expand the methodological principles of funerary archaeology and apply this innovative approach to interpret Neolithic Near Eastern burials.
Funerary practices provide a valuable insight into social organisation and ideology of past societies. A major deficiency is that the archaeological record only shows the final deposition of human remains. Funerary practices are not often considered as a dynamic process that consists of several stages over a length of time. In addition, a confident interpretation of funerary treatment before deposition is currently very difficult due to the lack of experimental research. In order to reconstruct the sequence of funerary actions, ArchFarm will develop and test a protocol for the identification of pre-depositional treatment such as different forms of mummification. During the outgoing phase, controlled and repetitive experiments of human body decay will be conducted at the Australian Body Farm, the only human decomposition facility in the world that is connected to an archaeological department and combines archaeological questions with forensic science. The new methods will then be applied to Neolithic Near Eastern burials which are known for body part manipulations such as skull removal. During the incoming phase, skeletal remains from several Neolithic Near Eastern sites will be analysed. The results will be combined with ethnological research to increase our understanding of social choices and ideology behind certain funerary actions.
ArchFarm is an interdisciplinary study that will create methodological novelties relevant to several periods. Based on a combination of archaeo-anthropology, forensic science and ethno-archaeology, this study will produce a more holistic narrative of funerary practices. In addition, ArchFarm will create the opportunity for communication and outreach on the subject of ‘dying, death and mourning in past and present times’.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology archaeology ethnoarchaeology
- social sciences sociology ideologies
- medical and health sciences other medical sciences forensic sciences
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-GF - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
33000 Bordeaux
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.