HEAS member Günther Karl Kunst co-authored a paper along with Silvia Radbauer from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austrian Archaeological Institute et al. "Palaeogenomic analysis of black rat (Rattus rattus) reveals multiple European introductions associated with human economic history" which was published this week in Nature Communications. There is further discussion on the Max Planck website
HEAS Member Cinzia Fornai has recently published articles on Centric relation: A matter of form and substance and Dynamic finite-element simulations reveal early origin of complex human birth pattern.
A new article has been published by HEAS member Katerina Douka et al. on fossils, fish and tropical forests : prehistoric human adaptations on the island frontiers of Oceania. Oceania is a key region for studying human dispersals, adaptations and interactions with other hominin populations. Although archaeological evidence now reveals occupation of the region by approximately 65–45 000 years ago, its human fossil record, which has the best potential to provide direct insights into ecological adaptations and population relationships, has remained much more elusive. Read full article
In the latest edition of Profil Magazine, HEAS Head Gerhard Weber is interviewed about his work (in German) Download a PDF here
Registration is now open for the 1st HEAS Lecture on the 8th April 2022. We are very excited to welcome Prof Katerina Harvati and Prof. Mirjana Roksandic to Vienna. This will be a hybrid event taking place online and in person. For more information and to register click here
The groups for (paleo-)genomics/proteomics at the growing Department for Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna support applications to the MCSA postdoctoral fellow programme. We are searching for motivated candidates with project ideas related to our research interests, to be implemented at this high-level institution. We encourage you to get into contact with us if you are interested in working on the following topics: Ron Pinhasi: ancient DNA, human population history, sediment DNA (https://www.pinhasilab.at/) Verena Schünemann: ancient and historical pathogen genomics, historical RNA (https://www.iem.uzh.ch/en/people/abg/VerenaSchuenemann-.html) Katerina Douka: paleoproteomics, dating, ancient hominins (https://www.katerinadouka.com/) Martin Kuhlwilm: computational admixture genomics in humans and primates (https://admixture.univie.ac.at) More information on implementation and additional support here: https://forschungsservice.univie.ac.at/foerdermoeglichkeiten/msca-pf/ The University of Vienna is an equal-opportunity employer, supports applications from underrepresented groups and minorities and offers generous support for a 3rd year of employment to the 10 top-ranked MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowships (top 5 female and top 5 male) awarded to the University.
Gerhard Weber was recently interviewed by the Austrian Public Broadcaster ORF about his recent publication on the Venus from Willendorf. The report can be viewed here
Congratulations to Ron Pinhasi, Deputy Head of HEAS, who has been made a full Professor at the University of Vienna. For more information on Ron's background click here
Mystery solved about the origin of the 30,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf as new research method shows that the material likely comes from northern Italy The almost 11 cm high figurine from Willendorf is one of the most important examples of early art in Europe. It is made of a rock called "oolite" which is not found in or around Willendorf. A research team led by the anthropologist Gerhard Weber from the University of Vienna and the two geologists Alexander Lukeneder and Mathias Harzhauser... Read More
A new article on the Grotte Mandrin has been published. Higham, Douka et. al. show that Homo sapiens made the so-called "Neronian" Palaeolithic industry there ~54,000 years ago. This is the earliest evidence there is in this part of the world for modern humans. Read More
The HEAS Workshops are intended to introduce basics of techniques/methods in a concise format to other colleagues, no matter if they come from the same discipline or from completely different fields. The typical workshop is a one-day event (but can be longer) and includes a theoretical part (mostly to make participants familiar with terms and procedures), and importantly, much practical work. After a workshop one should have a good idea what can be achieved with a particular technique or method, what the main inputs and outputs are, and where it links to other fields. HEAS Workshops can be organized in an online or hybrid format and are offered within our network without costs. For external participants we charge a fee of € 100/day. All workshops come with a maximum number of attendees. It is necessary to register in advance. One example for a HEAS workshop would be: Title Location Max. no. of participants 3D shape and form analysis (EVAN Toolbox) Online 15
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Vice Rector Jean-Robert Tyran welcomed a delegation from HEAS in his office at main campus of University of Vienna to celebrate the successful implementation of the new research network (Forschungsverbund). From left to right – Prof. Ron Pinhasi, Prof. Tom Higham, Vice Rector Jean-Robert Tyran, Prof., Katerina Douka, Prof. Gerhard Weber, Prof. Immo Trinks
The Kick-Off Meeting for Heas took place on Friday 12th November in Vienna. The members contributed to a planning session both online and in person which was hosted at the new UBB in the 3rd district. With over 500 years of collective experience in the room, the discussion included joint projects, funding, maintaining momentum, shared resources and strategic priorities for new infrastructure. There was also lively discussion about the planning of network activities for the coming year.
In the framework of a scientific cooperation between the University of Vienna, Vienna, Institute for Archaeological Science (VIAS), the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics and the new research centre for manor houses around the Baltic at Greifswald University, the buried foundations of Putbus Castle on the German peninsula of Rügen have been mapped in great detail. Links:read more on www.zeit.de read more on www.ndr.de
500 years of building history mirrored by rubble layers, artefacts, bones and documents It started with a rescue excavation of a few weeks in 2004, when the centre of the Nationalpark Donauauen was established in one of the most unique of our Renaissance castles; 17 years later, and coordinated by Nikolaus Hofer from the Federal Monuments Authority Austria, a team of historians, art historians, archaeologists, stratigraphers and osteologists together assemble a colourful picture, mutually benefitting from each others results; for the first time in Austria, the history of a monumental building could be traced over such a long period - inderdisciplinarity more than an out-dated phrase
A new article co-authored by HEAS members Tom Higham and Katherina Douka sheds light on the Denisovan remains in Siberia. The team found and sequenced 5 new human bones using ZooMS dating back to 200,000 yrs in East Chamber. To read the article in full click here Press Coverage Anthropologie: Älteste Überreste des Denisova-Menschen - science.ORF.at
